Misty Rain of the Old Times

In those days, ordinary people needed a travel permit issued by the government to travel far away. It was similar to the letter of introduction and identity certificate that Chen Xuan remembered. In short, you shouldn't wander around aimlessly, otherwise you would be questioned by the government as a vagrant and unstable factor. At best, you would be deported and fined, and at worst, you would be arrested, imprisoned, and forced to do hard labor.

Of course, the restrictions vary from person to person. For example, people in the martial arts world are a group of lawless outlaws. As long as they don't commit crimes, the government usually turns a blind eye. Then there are merchants, who have their own connections and can usually travel freely by paying taxes according to the law. Then there are scholars and officials with official titles. As long as their identities are genuine, they can go almost anywhere without any restrictions.

Although Chen Xuan didn't usually pay attention to these things, he still knew some common sense.

There are already many restrictions when traveling far from home, let alone stepping into another country. He still had to check on the large group of people he was traveling with, even though it wasn't a big deal, he wanted to avoid any trouble.

Xia Mei, clearly having known this beforehand, replied as soon as Chen Xuan finished speaking, "My lord, we are not a merchant caravan, so we don't need to follow the usual customs route. We are not an envoy, nor are we using Her Highness the Princess's name. We are simply on a normal trip, so we only need to pay a certain fee to pass through customs. I will arrange this; there's no need for you to worry about it, my lord."

Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Aunt Mei."

"It's my duty," Xia Mei nodded, then hesitated for a moment before saying, "However, sir, our identities are somewhat special. Entering Rong Kingdom will inevitably attract attention from all sides, both overtly and covertly. As long as we don't reveal our identities, the Rong Kingdom government will most likely turn a blind eye and pretend they don't know anything. After all, they are currently embroiled in internal strife and have no time to spare. They should be more concerned about those who dare to cause trouble. Besides..."

Seeing that she hesitated to speak, Chen Xuan said, "Aunt Mei, please speak freely."

"In addition, last year, Prince Luo of Rongguo provoked the master and was killed by him. Although the matter was eventually dropped, it cannot be ruled out that the Rongguo royal family has always held a grudge, so we still need to be on guard," Xia Mei said frankly.

Chen Xuan had almost forgotten about this. Last year, when he first met the little princess, Rong Kingdom was suffering from a severe drought. Rong Kingdom wanted to form a marriage alliance with Jing Kingdom to alleviate the disaster, and they plotted against Chen Xuan. At that time, Luo Wang, who was a hostage, was killed by Chen Xuan in front of Jiang Wang Zhou Hong, and the matter was dropped.

Chen Xuan wasn't surprised that Xia Mei knew about this matter. He calmly said, "It's alright. If she really comes knocking, I will handle it myself. I think it's unlikely. As Aunt Mei said, Rongguo is already too busy to take care of itself under the attack of my brother-in-law, Prince Qing. Where would they have the energy to provoke me?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Mei stopped worrying and cupped her hands, saying, "This subordinate will immediately go and arrange the crossing."

"Husband, who is King Luo?" the little princess asked curiously.

Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Don't you know about the hostages Rongguo sent to Jingguo in the past? We were close back then, and he and Zhou Hong were secretly plotting to make a move on me..."

Zhou Hong was expelled from the royal family genealogy of Jing Kingdom after his failed attempt to force the emperor to abdicate last year. Now that the grass on his grave is three feet high, Chen Xuan naturally no longer calls him King Jiang.

While talking about the past with the little princess, Chen Xuan pondered in his heart that Xia Mei had reminded him that if he, a Grandmaster, set foot in Rong Kingdom, would they send a strong person of the same level to guard against him? He used to be alone, but now he had to consider such things.

After much thought, he figured that such a thing wouldn't happen. After all, where would Rongguo find the energy to deal with such a situation? Internal strife and regional divisions, plus the endless attacks by Prince Qing, the entire Rongguo court was teetering on the brink of collapse.

Regardless, vigilance is still necessary. Even Chen Xuan dares not be careless with grandmaster-level experts. No matter how few they are, they cannot withstand the sheer size of the population.

How many Grandmaster-level experts does Rongguo have openly known? Chen Xuan hadn't really paid attention to this; at most, he'd count on one hand.

The people of Rongguo are often referred to as the Southern Barbarians. Although they share the same cultural heritage spanning thousands of years, their customs and traditions are quite different. I can see for myself after entering the country, which will enrich my experience.

Xia Mei sent someone to prepare a small boat to handle the border crossing procedures. Money makes the world go round, and as long as you are willing to spend money, you will have a smooth journey.

As they sailed downstream and approached the border between the two countries, the sparsely populated banks gradually became lively. Villages and docks could be seen everywhere, and there were also military camps stationed there, and the army was not small in size.

It is normal for troops to be stationed at the border between the two countries, especially now that Rong is in turmoil and King Qing has declared himself king and attacked and annexed Rong's territory. They have to prevent them from sending troops to attack Jing's homeland. No matter how busy Rong is with its own affairs, it has to be on guard.

The number of boats on the river increased, to the point of being crowded. Merchant ships and passenger ships were queuing to pass through the checkpoint, and warships were patrolling, with soldiers on board always in a state of readiness for battle.

Chen Xuan didn't inquire about how Xia Mei handled the border crossing. When they were still about ten miles from the border between the two countries, an official boat came to guide them directly forward. They didn't have to queue at all, which probably cost them a lot of money.

Soon they could clearly see the border between the two countries. A boundary wall, four or five zhang high, had been built along the mountain ridge on both sides, stretching into the distance. On the Jing Kingdom side, the vegetation hundreds of meters below the wall had been cleared, and troops patrolled at all times. It was likely that the Rong Kingdom side was in the same situation.

To Chen Xuan's slight surprise, the city wall actually connected the two banks. It didn't cut off the Qingping River, but was built in the form of a bridge. The section spanning the river was estimated to be twenty or thirty feet high, forming one huge gate after another standing on the river.

It should be noted that the Qingping River widens as it gets further downstream, reaching a point twenty or thirty li (approximately 10-15 kilometers) at the border between the two countries. What an enormous undertaking that must have been! However, considering the extraordinary military strength of the region, it is not surprising.

Whether it's the two banks or the dividing line spanning the river, the tops are all sharp, like knife edges, making it difficult to stand. It seems that both countries deliberately built it this way to prevent the other from gaining a high-ground advantage.

There is an island in the river, and one of the bases supporting the dividing line occupies almost the entire area of ​​the island. The island divides the Qingping River in two, with one side for entry and the other for exit. Both sides have stationed warships and soldiers on both sides of the dividing line on the river, making the two sides clearly distinct.

"This is the border! It's the first time I've ever seen one," the little princess said excitedly, standing at the bow of the ship and looking ahead.

Chen Xuan smiled and said, "This is my first time seeing this too. I've traveled to and from Yuhua Kingdom many times before, but I've never paid attention to these things. So, often we should slow down to avoid missing many noteworthy things along the way."

Nodding, the little princess pointed ahead in surprise and said, "Something seems to have happened over there. I can't see clearly. Does my husband know what happened?"

Chen Xuan looked in the direction she pointed and saw that on the side of the boundary line where Jing Kingdom was leaving, a 'bridge arch' that was originally well-ordered was now being rushed towards by a ship that was about ten feet long from Rong Kingdom. The ship was chased and blocked by the Rong Kingdom's garrison, but it was still a little too slow and was overtaken by the ship. The Rong Kingdom's garrison could only stop and watch helplessly as the ship entered Jing Kingdom's territory.

However, as soon as the ship entered the territory of Jing Kingdom, arrows rained down upon it, and a master of innate talent struck from a distance, sinking and killing the ship and its crew without any chance of negotiation!
Having witnessed this, Chen Xuan replied, "Someone from the Rong Kingdom tried to break through the pass, but they were killed and their ship was sunk."

The little princess didn't comment on this, as she didn't know how border control operated. She pondered, "Are these kinds of border crossings common? I see people taking it for granted, and similar things happen over there too."

Following her gaze, Chen Xuan glanced in the direction she pointed and said knowingly, "It probably happens quite often. After all, the people of Rong Kingdom are living in dire straits right now. If they could enter our Jing Kingdom, they would have a better chance of survival. However, being so close to the border, even our own people are struggling to survive. More outsiders would squeeze our living space. So we have to be ruthless. It's not without reason; we probably issued a clear order to prohibit it beforehand, but there are always people who take the risk."

Upon hearing this, the little princess pursed her lips and turned around, saying, "Is that so? Then I'll go back to my room first, and I'll come out again after I pass the test." "Alright," Chen Xuan nodded.

He knew the little princess couldn't interfere, and didn't want to see these scenes of fighting and killing, so he simply avoided them.

After the little princess returned to her room, as they got closer to the dividing line, Chen Xuan and his ship slowed down. Even though they paid a high price to use the special passage, there were still people who would try to take advantage of loopholes. If there were ships queuing up ahead, the headquarters ships would just crash into them. Even if they succeeded, they would be attacked by the government of both sides.

The guards have the authority to act expediently and won't reason with you.

While queuing, Chen Xuan noticed his surroundings and found that almost all the ships heading out of the country were merchant ships, fully loaded with goods, while passenger ships were almost nowhere to be seen.

It's easy to understand if you think about it. Right now, Rongguo is in constant war. As long as something is useful, it can be transported there and sold without worry. That's how war profits are made. And ordinary people would only go to war-torn areas if they had no other choice.

On the other side of the river, passenger ships from Rong Kingdom wanting to enter Jing Kingdom stretched as far as the eye could see. Countless people had gone bankrupt trying to escape the war, but the passage was slow, and every ship that wanted to enter was subjected to a rigorous inspection that was said to leave the ground three feet deep.

Upon closer inspection, Chen Xuan couldn't help but click his tongue in disapproval. Guarding the border here was truly a lucrative job. Merchant ships wanting to leave the country to make a fortune had to offer a bribe, and passenger ships wanting to enter to escape disaster were in the same boat. Separated by only a wall, the distance of several dozen feet was like a divine punishment. To cross it, one had to be exploited by both sides, and even then, one had to obediently queue up. Those who tried to force their way through were almost all sunk into the water.

In such a crucial pass, smuggling and collusion are inevitable, but that's not a problem Chen Xuan should be concerned with.

Although the soldiers of both countries were on edge at this pass, no major conflict broke out. Judging from the flags on the other side, they were still the Rong Kingdom's imperial flags. It seemed that Prince Qing's attack had not yet reached the Rong Kingdom's territory, otherwise Prince Qing's flags would have been planted by now.

Chen Xuan couldn't help but wonder, if the other side of the checkpoint was occupied by Prince Qing, how would the passage be handled? Would it be treated as one family, or according to the rules for two separate countries?

As time went by, it was Chen Xuan's turn for their ships to leave the country. The departure went smoothly, and the guards even reminded them to be careful. However, when they left the territory of Jing State and entered Rong State, they were stopped immediately by Rong State guards.

They were no longer on Jing Kingdom's territory, so even if Jing Kingdom had made arrangements and wanted to help, they were powerless to do anything and could only watch helplessly.

It wasn't just Chen Xuan's ship; any vessel that crossed the border into Rong Kingdom was surrounded by wolves like a piece of fresh flesh. Cargo ships were swarmed by people as soon as they passed through the border to negotiate transactions. As for passenger ships, only Chen Xuan's ship had passed through so far.

Several warships surrounded Chen Xuan and his men. The soldiers on board looked at Chen Xuan's magnificent warships with greedy eyes. Now that they were on their territory, they couldn't help but take the opportunity to make a profit.
"Stop and submit to inspection for contraband. If you don't cooperate, don't blame us for being impolite!" The Rong Kingdom's gatekeeper on the warship shouted coldly, his eyes filled with ill intent. This was no longer the Jing Kingdom. No matter what Chen Xuan and the others' status was in the Jing Kingdom, they had to cooperate obediently. Otherwise, with a wave of his hand, the army would swarm in and try to turn the world upside down.

Whether or not there are contraband items is up to them; frankly, they're just taking the opportunity to make a profit. But then again, Chen Xuan's ship does have quite a few contraband items, including crossbows, which are strictly prohibited from being privately owned by any country.

Noticing the greedy and even lewd looks in the eyes of the Rong soldiers who surrounded him, Chen Xuan frowned slightly but ignored them. Xia Mei would handle it naturally. After all, they were on vacation, not here to attack Rong. There was no need to make a big fuss unless things went too far.

"What do you mean by this? We are just passing through normally. This is our travel document. Please do us a favor," Xia Mei said as she stepped forward to negotiate. Her attitude was relatively polite, but her tone was very forceful. She had no intention of letting these people board the ship for inspection. When she showed them her travel document, she casually tossed a bag of silver over to them.

The guard took the silver, weighed it in his hand, his eyes lighting up. He casually tossed it aside, his gaze greedy, and sneered, "Enough nonsense. Obey the inspection. If this general discovers you have ulterior motives, don't blame us for being impolite!"

"What level do you have to threaten us?" Xia Mei's gaze turned cold, and her aura of top-tier innate cultivation, comparable to that of a sect leader, was no longer concealed. In an instant, the people within dozens of feet around her felt their hearts sink, as if someone had grabbed their necks and made it difficult to breathe. Many even felt a chill run down their spines and collapsed.

Xia Mei coldly surveyed her surroundings and said indifferently, "I hope you will all do me a favor and not offend my master, otherwise it will not be good for any of us."

"You..." Facing Xia Mei's gaze, the gatekeeper dared not look directly at her, as if he were being stared at by a prehistoric beast. However, relying on the support of thousands of troops, he pointed at Xia Mei and was about to get angry and order a forced entry.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, he saw Xia Mei gently wave a token in her hand. His face immediately changed, and he broke out in a cold sweat. He immediately bent down, bowed his head, and waved his hand, saying, "Everything is normal, let them through."

The soldiers surrounding the warship were already terrified, and upon hearing this, they dared not hesitate any longer. They immediately steered their ships away, and Chen Xuan and his men set off again towards the Rong Kingdom.

Chen Xuan ignored all of this and instead observed the situation on both sides of the Taiwan Strait in Rongguo.

Separated by only a wall, the situations in the two countries are worlds apart. While Jing Kingdom is relatively stable, Rong Kingdom is in a state of disarray that is hard to bear.

Looking around, there was no greenery to be seen on the mountains and fields. Countless shacks and refugees were clustered together and stretched to the horizon. On the river, corpses floated on the water, unnoticed. A fleeting glance revealed a scene of utter devastation.

Natural disasters and man-made calamities, and the suffering of the people, were now vividly manifested in Chen Xuan's eyes.

From what I could see, there were well over a million Rongguo refugees flocking to the border. They were all emaciated and dragging their families along. Some of them collapsed and never got up again.

Clearly, that wall separated them, and if they could go to the Jing Kingdom, they would have a chance to survive. But in front of the cold blades of the guarding army, it was an insurmountable divine punishment.

With a sigh, Chen Xuan turned to Xia Mei and asked, "What did Aunt Mei just show that made them let us through so easily? They couldn't even bribe us with money; they're like insatiable wolves."

"Your Majesty, what I presented was a special envoy's token, representing our Jing Kingdom's court. Although it was not a formal presentation of a letter of credence, it was still a matter of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Rong Kingdom's guards naturally dared not make things difficult for us. Fortunately, they knew their stuff, otherwise we would probably have been in some trouble," Xia Mei said with a smile, seemingly unconcerned.

Given the current situation in Rongguo, how could they dare to easily offend the special envoy from Jingguo? It's only because the new emperor has ascended the throne that he probably doesn't have that kind of intention yet. He should be secretly glad that he didn't take advantage of the situation and send his army south.

Chen Xuanxin said there was no problem with it. He remembered Xia Mei saying that many of these positions were just empty titles, not very useful in daily life, but quite intimidating when taken seriously, and convenient when traveling.

Sure enough, the Rong Kingdom's guards not only let them pass directly, but even dispatched two warships to escort them for a while... (End of this chapter)