Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 778: The Worst Time

Master Gao's residence was not on a bustling street, but rather in a rather remote location. However, it was not far from the government office; it would probably take less than half an hour to walk there.

The area is quite nice; the residents are either very wealthy or have connections to officialdom, and you can see constables patrolling at any time.

At the level of a high-ranking official like Lao Gao, it's perfectly normal for him to have a separate residence, unlike a minor county magistrate whose living and working areas are limited to a tiny space.

However, Lao Gao's residence did not give people a sense of grandeur; on the contrary, it looked simple and unadorned. At a glance, it was just a three-courtyard house, which was quite low-key for someone of his level.

However, the two tall stone lions at the entrance were quite imposing, and the four guards on duty were all at the level of acquired experts. This did not even include the more powerful guards in the courtyard, and Lao Gao's personal guard was even a master with a mid-to-upper-level innate cultivation.

It's obvious that the guards protecting Lao Gao now are not trained by the Gao family. As far as Chen Xuan knows, the Gao family only has Leng Bing as a Xiantian master. Therefore, it's not hard to guess that these guards are a perk provided to him by the imperial court. With his current level, he is fully qualified to have them.

Logically speaking, Lao Gao's personal bodyguard and right-hand man should be Steward He, since Steward He has been Lao Gao's page since childhood. However, Lao Gao's official position has risen too quickly, and Steward He can't keep up at all. Now he can only serve as a steward to guard the rear for Lao Gao. If Lao Gao didn't trust Steward He, how could he have entrusted his whole family to him?

Then Chen Xuan suddenly thought that Xiao Gao's promotion was like a rocket, could Wei Song, who was going to take his place, keep up with the pace? I'm afraid that he'll be replaced again in a few years.

Putting those thoughts aside, Chen Xuan stared at the plaque above the gate and murmured, "The Marquis of Gaoyang's Residence? It's neither the Prefect's Residence nor the Gao Residence. What does 'Marquis of Gaoyang' mean?"

When Lao Gao came to govern this region, it was perfectly normal for his residence to be called Gao Mansion or Governor's Mansion. But this Gaoyang Earl's Mansion was something he really couldn't figure out.

The little princesses looked at each other, equally confused.

Instead, Xia Mei explained, "My lord, you are unaware that not long after His Majesty ascended the throne, he bestowed upon Lord Gao the title of Earl of Gaoyang. It was a nominal title, without hereditary rights."

On this trip, Xia Mei arranged all the big and small details, while Chen Xuan and the others were just focused on having fun. She had to keep an eye on all sorts of information to avoid being unable to answer questions at crucial moments, and this is exactly where her skills came in handy.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan immediately understood. The new emperor, upon ascending the throne, naturally wanted to win over the court officials. Old Gao had already been entrusted with important responsibilities, so giving him another title wouldn't be a problem. Old Gao's hometown was in Yang County, so that's how he got the title of Earl of Gaoyang? Well, that makes sense, alright.

However, this is a nominal title. Even as an earl, he does not have the right to a fiefdom or to build a private army, nor can he pass it down to the next generation. To put it bluntly, the title can be revoked at any time, and even a lower-ranking inheritance is not allowed. This is limited to him, and it can only be implemented or even further if he makes significant political achievements.

Scratching his butt, Chen Xuan thought about how Prince Qing had already conquered a vast territory in Rong Kingdom and become emperor, while Gao Jingxue was the Empress of Nan Jing. Didn't that mean that Old Gao was already the father-in-law of the Nan Jing Emperor? It was a bit confusing, so he decided to stop thinking about it.

"Good heavens, I really didn't notice these things. Without a word, Master Gao has become a Earl," Chen Xuan said, quite surprised.

The little princess said, somewhat amused and exasperated, "Given Lord Gao's current status, there's no need for him to make such a big fuss about receiving the title of Earl, is there? Besides, since my husband hasn't asked, they probably won't bring it up on their own initiative."

Just say it's not presentable. Earl, when did it become so cheap? But given the Gao family's current prestige, it seems they really are not presentable. Let alone an earl, as a high-ranking official, even kings and emperors would treat them with respect.

Before they could finish their sentence, the guards at the gate had already noticed them. One of them stepped forward and said politely but warily, "Who are you gentlemen? This is the residence of Lord Gao. If you have no urgent business, please leave immediately."

It's not because they're dressed or have an impressive bearing. The guards are anything but polite. They might use harsh words to drive them away or even resort to violence. Do they really think just anyone can linger in front of a high-ranking official? No matter how approachable they are, if they all swarm in for trivial matters, Old Gao will be exhausted.

The little girl covered her mouth and chuckled. Even when her master was at the Gao family's house in Yang County, he could go wherever he wanted as if he were at home, but here he was being questioned, which made her unable to suppress her laughter.

Knowing what she was laughing about, Chen Xuan ruffled her hair, stepped forward, cupped his hands slightly, and said with a smile, "Please inform Lord Gao that relatives from my hometown have come to visit. Or, just say that Chen Xuan, a junior from my hometown, has come to visit his elders and, incidentally, to freeload a meal. That will be fine."

This isn't the Gao family residence in Yang County, and the guards don't recognize him. It's his duty, so Chen Xuan naturally won't make things difficult for them. Besides, no matter how good his relationship with the Gao family is, he still needs to maintain the proper attitude. Otherwise, if he acts recklessly just because of his relationship, even if Old Gao doesn't mind, what will others think?

As a junior, you should act like one.

The guard who stepped forward to negotiate frowned upon hearing the first part of the sentence, assuming it was another person trying to curry favor with Old Gao by claiming kinship. However, upon hearing the second part, his expression immediately changed, filled with both fear and excitement. He quickly bowed deeply and said, "So it's Mr. Chen! Please, invite him in."

To put it bluntly, as gatekeepers, they have no right to decide whether to let someone in, but that depends on who it is.

As people working for Master Gao, if they weren't quick-witted, they probably wouldn't even get a hot meal. How could they not know the name Chen Xuan? They might not even have heard of the young masters and ladies of the Gao family, but they couldn't forget Chen Xuan.

Putting aside Chen Xuan's status as the son-in-law of the royal family, who would dare to stop him given his cultivation level and his relationship with the Gao family?

Perhaps some people would dare to pretend to be stupid and impersonate others, but they would never dare to impersonate Chen Xuan, unless they were tired of living.

"No need for that. We didn't even give any advance notice before we came. We hope we haven't disturbed you, sir," Chen Xuan waved his hand and smiled, then turned back and said, "Madam, let's go inside. It's not good for us to stand at the door."

Upon hearing this, the guards, who were already greeting him with great courtesy, trembled even more, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. They quickly bowed and made way, subtly waving their hands and winking, saying, "Mr. Chen, Mrs. Chen, please come in quickly, it's just a few steps."

The guards were nearly scared out of their wits. Chen Xuan had already addressed the woman beside him as "Madam," so her identity was obvious. It was clearly Princess Fuyao herself who had come. How could they dare to make them wait at the door? They were of low status and dared not make decisions on their own. Since Chen Xuan hadn't made it clear, he must have come in a private capacity, so they could only pretend not to know.

At the same time, another guard bowed and quickly went to report. As Chen Xuan and his group stepped onto the steps, the main gate slowly opened!

As the residence of a high-ranking official, it was the place where countless people were watching his every move, both openly and secretly. When they saw that the gates were open to welcome guests, countless people wondered who those young people were.

Walking towards the gate, Chen Xuan turned back and said awkwardly in a low voice, "I just came to drop by and maybe get a free meal, it's kind of embarrassing to do this."

"Husband, you still know that you should have given us a heads-up beforehand? You made everyone rush around. But since you're the head of the household, I'll let you do whatever you want," the little princess said with a playful glare and a light laugh.

As they walked through the gate, a cheerful voice came from behind the screen wall in front: "Nephew, you've arrived! Why didn't you give us a heads-up? You've made a fool of yourself!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Master Gao's imposing and wealthy figure strode out from behind the screen wall, his face beaming as if he had just picked up some money.

Chen Xuan quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Junior Chen Xuan greets Master. I hope I haven't disturbed you, sir?" Master Gao kindly took Chen Xuan's arm and helped him up. His eyes were smiling, but he pretended to be stern and scolded, "Xiao Xuan, you and my son Xiao Ming are like brothers. You're being too formal. You won't even call me Uncle?"

"Uncle is right, it was my fault," Chen Xuan immediately corrected himself. Although he hadn't spent much time with him and couldn't be as casual as he was with Madam Gao, Madam Gao had taken care of so many things when they got married, and Chen Xuan truly treated him as an elder.

Master Gao immediately smiled kindly and said with satisfaction, "That's right!"

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the little princess gracefully curtsied and said, "Chen family daughter-in-law, Qian Ning, greets Uncle with best wishes."

"Greetings, Lord Gao," Xia Mei and the others followed suit, bowing respectfully. They dared not perform the junior etiquette of Chen Xuan and his wife. In private, Chen Xuan might not care about formalities, but they could not be impolite in front of outsiders.

Master Gao gave Chen Xuan a somewhat resentful look, secretly amused and exasperated. If Chen Xuan had come by himself, he would have done whatever he wanted, but the little princess was different. She didn't even give any advance notice and was completely unprepared. What if she made a fool of herself?

Now that things had come to this, he couldn't very well scold Chen Xuan, so he could only gesture with his hand and say, "Please, no need for formalities. We're all family, no need to stand on ceremony. You must be tired from your journey, please come inside and rest."

Logically, he should have paid his respects to the little princess with great ceremony, but since the little princess was meeting her elders as Chen Xuan's wife, Master Gao said he could accept it.

Fortunately, it was his private residence. If it were in a government office, even if the little princess was Chen Xuan's wife, everyone would have to pay their respects with great ceremony. The etiquette was there, and there was a risk that someone with ulterior motives would make a fuss about it and accuse you of disrespecting the royal family. The problem could be big or small.

"Uncle, please go first. It's such a great honor for you to personally greet me," Chen Xuan said with a smile. He wasn't being reserved at all; the more casual he was, the better the relationship was.

He gave him a disapproving look, then chuckled and shook his head, saying, "You rascal, everyone come with me."

As the group walked past the screen wall toward the central courtyard, Master Gao gave a subtle signal. Soon, someone would leave quickly. Needless to say, the security level here would soon need to be raised several notches. Perhaps it wasn't necessary, but he couldn't leave it unattended. If an official of his rank couldn't even handle this, he might as well quit and go home to farm.

On the way to the living room, Old Gao asked curiously, "Nephew, what brings you here?"

"Uncle, as you know, Qian Ning and I are newlyweds, so we took them out for a stroll and stopped by to see you," Chen Xuan said with a smile.

Hearing this, Old Gao chuckled, shook his head, and said, "You rascal, I thought you were being so kind."

Instead of responding to that, Chen Xuan decisively changed the subject, saying, "I hope I didn't disturb your business, Uncle? By the way, at this hour, isn't Uncle at the yamen handling official business?"

He was asking a question he already knew the answer to. With Mr. Pei here, how could Lao Gao leave him behind?

Although Mr. Pei is only the headmaster of the academy, he has students all over the world. In terms of influence, he even surpasses Lao Gao, a powerful regional official. Don't be fooled by his usual teaching and not his involvement in affairs. In fact, who dares to disregard him? He was one of the chief examiners in last year's imperial examination. He is a true big shot.

Upon hearing this, Lao Gao's previously cheerful expression immediately turned troubled, and he said hesitantly, "Something's happened, and I'm having a headache about it."

Seeing his appearance, Chen Xuan thought that something must have happened, but he figured it wasn't a big problem, so he didn't press him further. Given their relationship, there was nothing he couldn't ask, but it wasn't appropriate.

Amidst laughter and conversation, the group arrived at the central courtyard's living room. Chen Xuan immediately spotted Mr. Pei, who was looking at them with a disgruntled expression. He quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Junior Chen Xuan greets Mr. Pei."

Chen Xuan wasn't even a student at Liuyu Academy; he was just a novice, not a proper scholar. He didn't dare to call himself a student in front of Mr. Pei. Pei Zhenlong was their wedding officiant, so he should treat him with the respect due to a junior.

Clearly extremely displeased, Pei Zhenlong paused for a moment upon seeing Chen Xuan and the others, then put on a smiling face and stood up, saying, "It's Little Chen! What are you doing here?" As he spoke, he noticed the little princess beside Chen Xuan, his expression turned serious, and he straightened his clothes, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Your subject greets Your Highness."

Pei Zhenlong held a nominal position in the imperial court, and when he met the princess, he regarded himself as a subject.

The young princess turned slightly to the side, refusing the bow, and instead returned the greeting, saying, "There is no princess here, only this humble woman, Qian Ning. Mr. Pei, you have flattered this junior."

"Oh dear, we're all family here, what are you all doing here? Uncle, Mr. Pei, you are our elders, please have a seat," Chen Xuan said jokingly.

Nodding slightly, Pei Zhenlong smiled and beckoned, "Xiao Chen, Qian Ning, don't just stand there, come and sit down too."

Given his prestige, such an action could not be considered overstepping his bounds. However, after saying this, he looked at Master Gao and put on a stern face again, saying in a sarcastic tone, "I thought Master Gao was running around in such a hurry. Did you think you could get rid of me by running to the ends of the earth without giving me an explanation? It turns out that the younger generation has come. You didn't even tell me. What, are they not my juniors?"

"This is my home, you're a guest. My family has a younger member here, why should I tell you?" Old Master Gao retorted irritably, then turned to Chen Xuan with a smile and waved, "Little Chen, niece-in-law, don't mind that old scoundrel, come and sit down. He's an unwelcome guest, just pretend he doesn't exist."

"You rude old man, do you think I'm an unwelcome guest? Hmph, who wants to come here? Even if you invited me, I wouldn't come. If you don't give me an explanation today, I'm not done with you!" Pei Zhenlong rolled up his sleeves and glared at him.

Old Master Gao rolled his eyes and said, "You old fool, do you even have any sense of reason? Is it my problem that you expect me to give you an explanation? It's clearly your own problem, and you're blaming me? Who am I supposed to reason with?"

"How can it not be your problem? If something happens under your jurisdiction, who else should I turn to if not you?" Pei Zhenlong said matter-of-factly.

Chen Xuan and the others were completely bewildered when they saw the two of them spitting at each other.

Looking at this and then at that, wait, what happened? Why are you getting so worked up?

"Uncle, Mr. Pei, please calm down. Let's sit down and talk things over," Chen Xuan quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, feeling both amused and exasperated. It seemed he had come at the wrong time, caught in the middle and in a difficult position.

...(End of this chapter)