Misty Rain of the Old Times

As the voice rang out, a man and a woman entered the courtyard side by side, with the woman slightly behind.

The man was tall and slender, over eight feet in height, wearing a black dragon-patterned robe and a dark black cloak. He looked to be around thirty years old, with a strong face, sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and an air of authority that emanated from his brows. He wore a white jade and purple-gold crown, and had a light mustache above his lips. He wore a hearty smile that was neither distant nor overly friendly, striking a perfect balance as he strode in.

Every move he made exuded the demeanor of a superior, especially the calm and confident air between his brows, as if nothing in the world could faze him, giving people an urge to submit and bow down at a glance!

The woman beside him wore a silver-white phoenix-patterned long dress, only reaching his shoulder in height. A sword hung at her waist. She had a graceful figure and an exquisite face, exuding a cool and aloof air. She was elegant yet dignified. The two of them together looked like a match made in heaven.

The visitors were none other than Prince Qing, Zhou Xing, and Queen Gao Jingyu, the current Emperor and Empress of Southern Jing.

At first glance, Chen Xuan thought to himself that Zhou Xing was indeed the offspring of an old man. His modeling, temperament, and demeanor were simply impeccable. No wonder he could win the heart of Gao Jingyu, who had reached the Innate Realm at the young age of seventeen, and make her willing to become his concubine.

Gao Jingyu, on the other hand, is much more reserved now than she was when we first met nearly ten years ago. She exudes composure and elegance, and her every glance reveals a noble and dignified air.

As time goes by, everyone changes, probably in terms of status and position. Now, Gao Jingyu no longer needs to be sharp and calculating to stand out; he only needs to do his job well.

In Chen Xuan's perception, setting aside Prince Qing Zhou Xing's demeanor and temperament, he also possessed considerable cultivation, reaching the middle level of the Innate Realm, which was already quite impressive. Moreover, given his status, it was truly remarkable that he could still cultivate to this level. Although it was something that could be seen through at a glance, Chen Xuan always had a misconception that this was merely the surface he saw, as if it was just what Prince Qing wanted him to see.

Thinking about it, I felt relieved. A man like Prince Qing, who has declared himself emperor, is incredibly shrewd and unfathomable. How could anyone see through him at a glance? There's nothing to worry about. As long as they're not enemies, there's no need to care so much.

While Chen Xuan was sizing up Prince Qing, Prince Qing was also sizing him up.

Besides Prince Qing's men, Chen Xuan and his group were the only men in the courtyard. Prince Qing recognized him at a glance as his brother-in-law, whom he had never met before.

Upon seeing Chen Xuan, Prince Qing felt a strange glint in his eye. He couldn't discern Chen Xuan's cultivation level at all; he seemed like an ordinary person with no cultivation whatsoever. Considering Chen Xuan's achievements and actions, could he really be an ordinary person with no cultivation? He was utterly unfathomable, especially considering his young age. Truly a prodigy!
He didn't pay much attention to that either. Instead, he was amused to see Du Juan and the others around Chen Xuan. He thought to himself that his brother-in-law was quite the charming and unrestrained man. It's perfectly normal for young people to like pretty girls. Everyone has been young before.

Their eyes met across the distance, but there were no sparks flying; it was just an ordinary, calm, and natural meeting.

Upon meeting, Chen Xuan immediately stood up, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully, then asked, "Should I address you as Your Majesty or Prince Qing?"

If Zhou Xing's other subordinates were present, they would probably have jumped out and scolded him for being presumptuous after Chen Xuan made this slightly teasing remark, no matter what. Otherwise, where would his authority be?

However, Zhou Xing didn't care about any of that. Instead, he laughed heartily and said gently, "Everyone says that you, Xiao Xuan, are a wonderful person, able to joke and tease Father and make him happy. Now it seems that they are right. There is no His Majesty or Prince Qing here. We are all family. Just call me Fifth Brother. Come, come, don't be shy, sit down and let's talk."

Chen Xuan had to admit that Zhou Xing's personality was genuinely hard to dislike. Even though he knew that Zhou Xing was deliberately being humble, just one sentence from him made people feel comfortable around him. No wonder he was someone who could do great things, with so many people willing to follow him.

With a smile, Chen Xuan said, "Brother Chen Xuan greets Fifth Brother and Eldest Miss."

"Hey, Xiao Xuan, I've been waiting for you to call me Fifth Brother for so long. I couldn't attend your engagement and wedding with my little sister because I had no choice. I feel so guilty. I apologize to you, Fifth Brother." Zhou Xing gestured for Chen Xuan to sit down and apologized. It wasn't just polite talk; he genuinely felt sorry.

At this moment, Gao Jingyu, who had accompanied them, looked at Chen Xuan with a slightly reproachful smile and said, "Xiao Xuan, it's been a long time. Now you have to call me sister-in-law."

In the past, from the Gao family's perspective, Chen Xuan would naturally address her as the eldest young lady. Now that he has married the little princess, the way he addresses her naturally needs to change.

"I'm used to it. It was just a slip of the tongue. Don't take it to heart, sister-in-law," Chen Xuan nodded and smiled.

Gao Jingyu smiled with satisfaction and said, "We're family, don't be shy, please have a seat."

"Fifth Brother, Sister-in-law," the little princess greeted them in a pause between their conversation. Her tone was neither intimate nor distant. After all, they hadn't seen each other for many years, and although their relationship as siblings was actually just so-so, they still maintained the proper etiquette.

At the same time, Xia Mei and the others also bowed respectfully.

After exchanging pleasantries and taking their seats, Zhou Xing looked at the little princess with a mix of emotion and apology, saying, "Little sister, it's been so many years since I last saw you, and you've grown so much and are even married now. I almost didn't recognize you. I've been unable to visit you all these years due to various commitments, so I hope you won't take it to heart."

"No, I know Fifth Brother is a very busy man, and important matters come first," the little princess said with a sweet smile. In fact, she was also very curious about this Fifth Brother, after all, he had done something that could be described as earth-shattering, and she felt both familiar and unfamiliar with him.

We're all family, there's no need to talk about what each of us has done, that would be too unpleasant. Zhou Xing smiled and hesitated, "It's been many years since I've been back to the capital... How is my father doing?"

Upon hearing this, the little princess immediately replied with a hint of helplessness, "Father is in good health; in fact, I saw him just a few days ago."

"Oh? Little sister, where did you meet Father Emperor?" Zhou Xing asked, puzzled.

The little princess said hesitantly, "Fifth Brother, you should have heard about the martial arts tournament held there a few days ago in Hidden Dragon County, Haozhou, right? We met Father in the county town, but we only saw him for a short while and didn't even exchange a few words before he secretly ran away. Fifth Brother, tell me, Father is so old, what's he doing causing trouble? He's such a worry."

"I've heard a little about this matter, but I didn't expect Father to go there too. He really shouldn't have been running around like that, but it's good to get out and clear his head," Zhou Xing nodded, then sighed, "As a son, it's ultimately my fault for not being able to fulfill my filial duties to Father."

“Who says otherwise? But Father Emperor is always running around everywhere, we can’t even see him. What can we do?” The little princess also looked troubled.

Shaking his head, Zhou Xing looked at Chen Xuan and asked with a smile, "Xiao Xuan, I've heard that you've been spending a lot of time with Father Emperor in recent years, and that he even agreed to marry his most beloved little sister to you. Although you are father-in-law and son-in-law, you're practically like close friends despite the age gap. I haven't seen Father Emperor for several years, can you tell me about it?" At this moment, Chen Xuan thought to himself that Zhou Xing was truly amazing. He didn't reveal any ulterior motives. When the family was together, he chatted casually. The relationship was awkward at their first meeting, and even though he hadn't seen the little princess for several years and didn't have much affection for her, he subtly used the old man as a starting point to bridge the gap in the atmosphere.

Chen Xuan was ashamed of his own lack of skill in controlling the atmosphere. Personally, if they didn't share the same tastes, Chen Xuan estimated that he would kill the conversation in the meantime and couldn't do what Zhou Xing did with such ease.

Thoughts flashed in his mind, Chen Xuan did not pretend to be elegant, he shrugged lazily and said with a troubled expression: "It makes me depressed when I talk about it. I still remember when I... ahem, the first time I met my father-in-law was at Xiaoxuan Palace in the capital. When he saw me, he had a grudge against me. It seems that he chased me and beat me, and I just saw that he didn’t care about his age. Otherwise, how could he be so angry? It’s like we don’t know each other without beating him. What’s speechless is that since then, he has been like an addict, beating me when we meet, and sometimes I want to fight back..."

When chatting casually, people naturally say whatever comes to mind. Chen Xuan didn't mind revealing his embarrassing moments. As he talked, he suddenly started reminiscing about the time he spent with Lao Deng. Suddenly, he realized, "Could it be that I've gotten used to being beaten up?" Why reminisce about that? What's wrong with me?

Zhou Xing and the others listened attentively, as if they were immersed in the conversation. Zhou Xing, in particular, even showed a look of longing. Royal family relationships were often distant, and this was probably a scene of real father-son interaction that he had rarely experienced.

When talking about the last time he saw the old man, Chen Xuan did not mention that the old man was also there when the martial arts tournament was held on the island. He only said that the old man sent him away to run away in Yinlong County.

After listening, Zhou Xing looked at Chen Xuan with some emotion and said, "Xiao Xuan, thank you so much. You've made up for what Father Emperor lacked and done what we children failed to do. I'm truly grateful. If you meet Father Emperor again, please tell him I'm sorry. Your son is unfilial for not being able to fulfill his filial duties at his side."

Chen Xuan disliked these heavy words and instead asked playfully, "What, Fifth Brother, do you also want to get beaten up by your father-in-law?"

“哈哈，那自是求之不得，小时候被父母揍只会委屈，现在却会感到高兴，话说小宣当初你居然招惹小妹，小妹可是父皇最疼爱的女儿，你说你能不挨揍吗？”周兴开怀道。

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan wholeheartedly agreed, chuckled to himself, and nodded, saying, "That's true."

Putting himself in her shoes, he figured that if he had a daughter in the future, any bastard who dared to mess with her would be beaten to a pulp, so it was perfectly normal that Old Deng had disliked him from the very beginning.

Time flew by as they chatted. Summer days were long, but the sun was already setting. Zhou Xing stood up and called out, "Xiao Xuan, little sister, come with me. Especially Xiao Xuan, it's our first meeting, so I've prepared a little wine. Let's drink to our hearts' content!"

"I'll follow your lead, so I'll trouble you, Fifth Brother," Chen Xuan said with a smile as he stood up. Putting aside all the speculation, he felt quite good after spending time with Zhou Xing. He had a good first impression of Zhou Xing, at least he wasn't the kind of person who wouldn't get along with him.

Gao Jingyu shook his head and said, "Xiao Xuan, what are you saying? We're family, no need to be so polite, make yourselves at home."

This statement is somewhat inappropriate, as this is the central command tent, not a place for child's play. However, it is enough to show that Gao Jingyu and his wife truly did not treat them as outsiders.

On the way to the dining place, Gao Jingyu noticed that the little princess kept her eyes on the sword at her waist, and said with a sigh, "Little sister, do you think it's not proper for your sister-in-law to keep her weapon with her when you meet her?"

The little princess smiled and shook her head, saying, "No, no, sister-in-law, you're overthinking it. I know you're a martial artist, so it's only natural that you always have your sword with you."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jingyu said apologetically, "It's not what I think, little sister. Your fifth brother's situation is special right now, and there's a risk of assassination attempts, so we have to be on guard. Normally, it's inconvenient for soldiers to bring their female relatives, but for your fifth brother's safety, we have to make an exception and accompany him at all times. And now I'm your fifth brother's personal guard captain, you know. I only put on civilian clothes to see you; normally I'm always in armor."

"I see," the little princess nodded in realization. No wonder Gao Jingyu always carried a weapon. Zhou Xing was currently undertaking a major undertaking and indeed needed to be constantly on guard against assassination attempts. Gao Jingyu was his wife, and she could provide close protection both inside and outside the house.

Zhou Xing shook his head and said, "It's rare to see my younger sister and brother-in-law. Why are you saying such unpleasant things, madam? We're family, so let's not talk about other things."

"I misspoke," Gao Jingyu nodded.

It's really inappropriate for a family to talk about these things, and it's also a bit awkward. Zhou Xing was a prince appointed by the Jing Kingdom, but now he has declared himself emperor. However, he didn't rebel on Jing Kingdom's own soil. If you really think about it, it's a bit of a mess. You can't call him a traitor, since he didn't cause trouble on his own territory. It's also inappropriate to call him a meritorious official who expanded the territory. He can decide the territory he conquered. The current new emperor of Jing Kingdom, Zhou Chen, can't control him. If he is arrested and questioned, war will have to be launched. In short, it's a complete mess.

Old Deng probably never dreamed that his fifth son would start his own business and thrive. Two emperor sons! He has never expressed any opinion on this, and it's unclear what he thinks.

They soon arrived at the small dining room, which was probably set up temporarily. Whether it was intentional or accidental, the square map on the wall had not been removed.

There were about ten dishes on the table, including chicken, duck, fish, meat, vegetables, rice, and drinks, which was quite a feast.

As Chen Xuan examined the map, Zhou Xing greeted him, "Little sister, brother-in-law, please sit down. The conditions are simple now, and the food is plain, so please bear with us. I feel deeply guilty, and I hope you won't take it to heart. I will definitely host a banquet to make amends once things have stabilized."

Such food was served to Chen Xuan and his men. In reality, Zhou Xing always ate the same food as his soldiers when he led troops outside. Even if it was just for show, he always insisted on it. Otherwise, how could so many people have followed him wholeheartedly to plot great things together?
"Fifth Brother is joking, please," Chen Xuan said with a smile after the guests and host were seated. Naturally, he would not say anything that would spoil the mood, such as that there are countless people who don't even have tree bark to eat. No one is a saint, and one's behavior is not considered immoral when one is behind closed doors.

"We're all family, so make yourselves at home," Gao Jingyu said, personally pouring wine as she spoke. She then raised her glass and said, "Xiao Xuan, little sister, it's rare to see you all, so let's have a good time and share a drink together."

Upon hearing this, the little princess looked troubled and said apologetically, "Fifth Brother, Sister-in-law, I'm so sorry, but I shouldn't drink alcohol right now. How about tea instead?"

As experienced people, Zhou Xing and his wife quickly realized something. They exchanged a glance, and Gao Jingyu looked at the little princess with surprise and asked, "Could it be that my little sister is pregnant?"

The little princess blushed slightly, nodded, and hummed in agreement.

...(End of chapter)