Misty Rain of the Old Times

"Urgent report! Prince Qing has raised an army and is plotting a rebellion! Report this to His Majesty immediately! All of you, get out of the way! Anyone who blocks your way will be punished as an accomplice!"

High above the southern part of the capital, a raptor with a wingspan of over three zhang (approximately 10 meters) flew by, carrying an armored messenger who raised a command flag and shouted loudly, his voice echoing in all directions.

In principle, no one is allowed to freely enter and exit the airspace above the capital city on their mounts, unless there are special circumstances. But those who understand principles know what they mean. For example, a certain young man surnamed Chen can freely enter and exit the city without anyone bothering him.
Therefore, when this raptor was about to enter the airspace of the capital, the city guards wanted to stop it and question it. If they did not have a suitable reason, they would be killed on the spot.

Chen Xuan had never encountered such an incident while leading his men in and out of the area, naturally because he was tall and fast enough that no one noticed him. Even if they did, those who knew him dared not say anything.

However, as soon as the messenger, who arrived on a raptor, uttered a single sentence, the city guards' expressions changed drastically. Not only did they dare not intercept him, but they also reacted quickly by sending out experts to warn the messenger not to bump into him along the way, which was tantamount to escorting him along the route.

Despite the high altitude of the birds of prey, the capital city is well-stocked with powerful crossbows and skilled warriors who can easily handle such urgent military situations. Naturally, coordination from all sides is required for such emergencies.

Prince Qing has raised an army to rebel? Not to mention the city guards, who among those who heard this wasn't terrified and dumbfounded?

This is simply unbelievable and too sudden. The new emperor has only been on the throne for a few days. How could Prince Qing dare to do this out of the blue?

When this news came out, it caused a huge uproar. People rushed around trying to get more information. The whole city was in an uproar. If they were not careful, the country would be plunged into war. The higher up the social class, the more frightened they were. After all, it was a matter of their own lives and property. If it escalated to the point of a coup, how many people would die?

Logically speaking, such important military intelligence should not be publicized. However, the city guards would not easily let the messenger pass without a legitimate reason. Moreover, such an event cannot be delayed and must be reported to the new emperor immediately. Therefore, the importance of the matter can only be explained in one sentence.

Actually, there's no point in hiding this. Secrets can't stay hidden forever; sooner or later, everyone will know. Besides, the messenger's account was vague, and the specifics are still unknown.

People saw a raptor heading straight towards the palace. Many experts below rushed to warn it not to stop it, and no more shouting was heard. However, the resounding words from the beginning were spreading rapidly in all directions.

In short, with the emergence of that news, countless people became restless, and those of a certain status and position rushed to the palace as soon as they received the news.

Chen Xuan doesn't usually open up his senses like an ordinary person; otherwise, he would be overwhelmed by the constant influx of information. However, he is still very sensitive to certain keywords and will subconsciously pay attention to them, which is equivalent to turning on a filter for himself.

It was only after hearing the news that Prince Qing had raised an army and intended to rebel that he told the little princess, with a look of astonishment, that her brother, Prince Qing, had rebelled.

There's no smoke without fire; the news even reached the capital with urgent notification, which shows just how serious the situation is.

Looking at his incredulous wife, Chen Xuan scratched his butt and said with deep agreement, "That's right, how dare Prince Qing?"

Could it be that he thought that since the old emperor had abdicated and was no longer involved in state affairs, and Zhou Chen had just ascended the throne and was too busy to attend to everything, he thought that no one could control him, so his ambition suddenly swelled and he revealed his claws?
The key is that Prince Qing has been guarding the southern gateway for many years, and on the surface he only has 100,000 troops at his disposal, while Zhou Chen has taken over the power of the entire country. Compared to Zhou Chen, how can he possibly compete with such a small force? Who gave him the courage?
Anyone would think someone is out of their mind to do something like this. Is he just living too comfortably and has no choice but to do something stupid?

Of course, when someone reaches that level of status and position, every action is purposeful. It's possible that Prince Qing realized that once Zhou Chen ascended to the throne, he would inevitably take back the military power of the previous generation and use him as a scapegoat. Therefore, he had no choice but to do this. As the saying goes, it's better to take the initiative than to sit and wait for death. Either wait to die or take a gamble.

The little princess had never been interested in court affairs; being a girl, she didn't have the inclination. Although she was somewhat stunned by the sudden news, she quickly calmed down and pondered, "Brother Xuan, where did you get this news? Is it true? You can't just say things like that; this is no joke."

Although they were related by marriage, Chen Xuan had never been interested in interfering in royal affairs, nor had he ever brought it up. At this moment, he shrugged and said, "Wife, do you think your husband would joke about something like this? I just heard it, it's absolutely true, the news will definitely spread quickly, and it won't be long before it reaches here."

At this point, Chen Xuan casually pointed around and said, "My lady, listen, we can hear the sounds of troops being mobilized. Things have gotten this far; there's no doubt about the situation."

"This... my husband, what should we do now that something like this has happened?" the little princess asked worriedly.

Holding her small hand and smiling, Chen Xuan said, "What else can we do? We'll just have to deal with it. It's none of our business; the sky isn't going to fall."

The little princess thought about it and sighed, "Father has only been away for a few days and this has already happened. He will be heartbroken if he finds out. Father can't stand family discord, especially Fifth Brother. What was he thinking to go down this path?"

Chen Xuan shrugged, indicating that if you asked him, who should he ask?

After a moment's thought, considering that Steward Hua was busy arranging the matters Chen Xuan had entrusted to her, the little princess turned around and said, "Aunt Mei, could you please go out and find out the specific situation? We can't just ignore it."

"Your Highness, Master, please wait a moment, I'll go and inquire right away," Xia Mei replied and hurriedly left.

Although the little princess had no interest in politics and never placed any people in any places, her status and position were high enough that she had a large family and it was easy for her to get information. It was just that she could not get to the core key points, but she knew enough about the basics, since she did not want to get involved.

After Xia Mei went to inquire about the situation, the little princess turned back and said, "Husband, our journey back to Yang County may be delayed."

Since that's the case, Chen Xuan simply lay down lazily, waved his hand, and said, "It's alright, a little extra time won't make a difference. It is indeed necessary to learn about it."

Ultimately, this is a family matter for the little princess. Before the general situation is clear, she is somewhat conflicted, but there is nothing she can do but be an outsider and only understand the situation to a limited extent.

Chen Xuan had no choice but to stay with her; the couple naturally had to stand together.

However, Chen Xuan's mind was racing at this moment, and he was also using his senses to the maximum extent to quickly gather information from all sides. However, what he gathered was not very meaningful, since the incident happened thousands of miles to the south, and the details had not been spread so quickly. The messenger who knew the specifics had gone to the palace, but he was still out of reach there.

Chen Xuan had heard the name Prince Qing since he was a child. He was the son-in-law of Madam Gao, the brother-in-law of Gao Jingming, and the man of Gao Jingyu. He had heard it so many times over the past ten years that he was sick of it, but he had never met him. He never expected that Prince Qing would quietly go so far as to raise an army and rebel.

Of course, the messenger's vague statement about Prince Qing's rebellion was just that—a vague statement. Further investigation is needed to determine the specifics. After all, it's unrealistic for him to rebel with only 100,000 troops, unless he has the abilities of Zhu Yuanzhang. However, even Zhu Yuanzhang took several years to succeed, and that was without external pressure. The current environment in Jing Kingdom doesn't allow it. Not to mention that Zhou Chen has taken over the entire country's power, there are three neighboring countries. If internal strife were to break out, those three countries would be laughing all the way to the bank.

What was Prince Qing's name again? He had always been called Prince Qing. Chen Xuan quickly recalled the basic information about Prince Qing in his mind. He was the old man's fifth son, named Zhou Xing. After coming of age, he led troops to guard the southern gateway and could not leave without an imperial edict. Therefore, Chen Xuan had never met him. However, he had met Gao Jingyu's son a few times.

This information was found in the royal family genealogy when Chen Xuan and the little princess were engaged.

From the first time Chen Xuan met Gao Jingyu over a decade ago, he could tell that the woman was restless and ambitious. There's a saying that two kinds of people can't sleep in the same bed, so it's clear that Prince Qing is probably not a peaceful person either. So, after years of cultivating their influence in the south, they must have seen an opportunity for a change of power. Presumably, through their spies in the capital, they learned of Zhou Chen's ascension to the throne and launched a coup immediately. Time is of the essence in war; they couldn't wait until Zhou Chen was free to act hastily.

But no matter how you look at it, the question remains: how dare Prince Qing? Did he even consider the consequences of failure?

How long has it been since Jiang Wang Zhou Hong's disastrous defeat? He even stormed into the palace! Now, the grass on his grave is probably almost a foot high.

Lost in thought, Chen Xuan suddenly realized that the Gao family and Prince Qing were practically tied together. Now that Gao Jingyu was Prince Qing's successor, would this incident affect the Gao family?

It seems inevitable that the Gao family will be affected; the only question is what Zhou Chen will do next.

Chen Xuan would not participate in such court struggles. No matter how the new emperor Zhou Chen dealt with the Gao family, Chen Xuan would not interfere. The Gao family had its own destiny, and Chen Xuan's friendship with the Gao family was limited to only a few people. If things really came to an end, he would only protect a few people.

It wasn't that Chen Xuan was cold-hearted; he did indeed owe the Gao family a debt of gratitude. But that didn't mean he was obligated to ensure the Gao family's continued wealth and prosperity for generations. Ensuring the safety of the few people he cared about was already more than enough.

It is only because of Madam Gao and Gao Jingming that Chen Xuan is considering these things. If it were a hundred or two hundred years later, the kinship with the Gao family would have faded. He wouldn't completely ignore them, but he wouldn't care about those few people in the Gao family that he cares about as much as he does now.

In short, because of Prince Qing's actions, Chen Xuan will not interfere with the Gao family's future fate. He will only step in to protect a few people at crucial moments, and let nature take its course as it comes.

While lost in thought, Chen Xuan suddenly felt a pang in his heart and subconsciously looked towards a certain direction in the capital. He thought to himself, could it be that the words Mr. Pei said last year after drinking, "The imperial star shines brightly, yet there is a hidden star settling in the middle of the sky," were actually about Prince Qing, Zhou Xing?

If that's the case, then the Prince Qing, whom we've never met, will most likely succeed.
Who can really say for sure about something like this...?

Then Chen Xuan wondered, if the so-called hidden star entering the central sky was meant to be related to Prince Qing, then what was the situation when Mr. Pei used the celestial globe to calculate the extra star in the night sky that day?
It's probably because the rogue planet has come into observable range. After all, with the technology of this era being so backward, it's not surprising that new discoveries are made every day.

While he was lost in thought, news of Prince Qing's planned rebellion had already begun to spread like wildfire, causing a great uproar throughout the city. However, there was much speculation but no substantial information, as the specific details from Prince Qing's side had not yet reached him.

The messenger went to the palace but did not receive any news from there. Instead, important officials from all sides rushed to the palace. After an hour or so, the entire capital seemed to be shrouded in a layer of oppressive and restless atmosphere. Countless people watched with tension and trepidation, and no one knew what kind of decree would come from the palace next.

With his senses fully engaged, Chen Xuan, several miles away, captured a rather important situation in this atmosphere.

Even without witnessing it firsthand, Chen Xuan was able to deduce some of the true circumstances surrounding the news of Prince Qing's rebellion based on the conversations there.

It's not that Prince Qing rebelled and tried to seize power like Prince Jiang did last year, but the situation is similar, or even more serious in some ways.

Rebellion and seizure of power were matters for the Jing Kingdom's royal family, but after analyzing Prince Qing's actions, Chen Xuan couldn't help but give him a thumbs up and say "amazing!"
In Chen Xuan's perception, several miles away, almost all of Rong Kingdom's envoys stationed in Jing Kingdom had set off towards the palace. Among them was Rong Kingdom's new hostage. They were extremely anxious and furious, declaring that they would demand an explanation from Jing Kingdom. If they did not receive a satisfactory answer, the two countries would go to war without any room for reconciliation!

"This is outrageous! How dare Prince Qing, Zhou Xing, go so far?"

"This was absolutely premeditated, and it must have been secretly orchestrated and supported by the Jing Kingdom's court. Otherwise, how could things have turned out like this in just two days?"

"Taking advantage of someone's misfortune, does the Jing Kingdom have any shame? Last year, my Rong Kingdom suffered a severe drought that affected the entire country, leading to widespread warfare. Yet, Zhou Xing, upon the ascension of the new emperor of Jing Kingdom, actually raised his arms and declared himself emperor, even proclaiming himself the Southern Jing. I think he is clearly a traitor. The key is that he has received countless responses. In just one day, after Zhou Xing declared his independence, seven prefectures of my Rong Kingdom declared their submission. He has raised an army of a million and is looking down on all sides. His intentions are obvious. He is clearly aiming to sweep across the land and simply wants to annex and destroy my Rong Kingdom!"

"How could this be? How long has Zhou Xing been plotting this? Last year's severe drought that affected the entire Rong Kingdom clearly created the best conditions for Zhou Xing. Now he's become too powerful to be controlled!"

"We are going to meet Emperor Jing to demand an explanation, even if it means dying on the spot. If we don't get a satisfactory answer, war will be the only option!"

These were the key pieces of information Chen Xuan heard after opening his senses. Hearing them from the Rongguo envoys, the situation should be accurate, since it concerned the Rongguo itself, and these envoys would receive information faster and more comprehensively.

This is most likely the second piece of information Chen Xuan received outside of the current Jing Kingdom court.

It turns out that it wasn't Prince Qing, Zhou Xing, who seized the opportunity to rebel, but rather he declared himself king, calling himself Nan Jing. With a single call to arms, seven prefectures of Rong Kingdom immediately pledged their allegiance. Could there be many more that haven't had a chance to submit yet? Or perhaps the news of their submission hasn't been relayed yet?
"It was just a false alarm," Chen Xuan murmured, dumbfounded upon hearing this.

This unimaginable thing actually happened; it's so real that no one would believe it if I told them.

The key question is, when did Zhou Xing begin his scheme? What has he been secretly doing all these years, seemingly keeping a low profile and guarding the gate?
It seems he really succeeded. If the news spreads widely, it will surely shock countless people.

The little princess, who was still waiting for Xia Mei to return and give her feedback, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Brother Xuan, what was that false alarm?"

Even Chen Xuan was a little dumbfounded. He looked at the little princess and pondered, "Wife, I have good news and... well, not good, not bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

"Brother Xuan, stop keeping me in suspense! What news is it?" The little princess persisted, gesturing for him to tell her quickly.

Chen Xuan, with an expression of utter resignation, said, "My wife, listen carefully. The good news is that your brother, Prince Qing, didn't raise an army in rebellion. It was a false alarm, so you can relax. There's a high probability that we won't see the brothers fighting each other anytime soon."

The little princess opened her mouth, then asked in surprise, "Although I don't know where you got this news, Brother Xuan, I'm sure you wouldn't lie to me. This is indeed good news. What about the bad news?"

Shrugging, Chen Xuan exclaimed in surprise, "The news is neither good nor bad. Your brother, Prince Qing, Zhou Xing, has declared himself king, calling himself Nan Jing. With a single call, seven prefectures of Rong Kingdom knelt before him. This is only temporary. Well, how should I put it? Your brother Zhou Xing might have a chance to take over the entire Rong Kingdom and become the second emperor of Jing Kingdom, comparable to your brother Zhou Chen. If that really happens, tsk, wouldn't you, my wife, be the legitimate princess of two countries?"

Hearing him say that, the little princess was completely stunned. This was even more terrifying and unacceptable than a rebellion, wasn't it?
She opened her mouth, looking adorably bewildered, and said, "Husband, I'm educated, you wouldn't lie to me, would you? This isn't something to joke about."

...(End of chapter)