Chapter 278 - 256: Homecoming (2)
The journey to Qingfeng City will take quite some time, so it’s best not to leave the carriage to avoid encountering that Divine Treasure Realm expert.
...
For significant figures like the Princess and the Crown Prince, travel arrangements involving meals and accommodations can’t be left to chance, so the actual travel time each day isn’t much.
Chen Ming traveled with them, spending nearly half a month to reach Qingfeng City.
Throughout the journey, he shared meals and accommodations with Princess Mingyu.
Luckily, at night, he would use practice as an excuse and meditate instead of sleep, avoiding sharing a bed with her.
"Yuan Ziyi’s alias must not be exposed!"
Chen Ming made up his mind.
Otherwise, he’d face social death directly.
Upon arriving at Qingfeng City, Princess Mingyu went to the new Prince Zhenhai’s Mansion.
The old Prince Zhenhai’s Mansion had been occupied by Shang Jianfei. The court wouldn’t be so tactless as to forcibly reclaim it, so they chose another plot and built a new mansion.
As soon as Princess Mingyu got off the carriage, she pulled Chen Ming, saying, "This journey was dusty, with many inconveniences, but now we can finally take a bath. Sister, let’s—"
Chen Ming quickly replied, "I have urgent matters to discuss with Miss Yu, so I can’t accompany you."
Then he fled in haste.
He could sense that Princess Mingyu had an unusual enthusiasm for him. Although intimacy among women is normal, bathing together seemed a bit too strange.
After leaving the mansion, Chen Ming saw the familiar streets and atmosphere outside, and an overwhelming emotion surged in his heart.
Qingfeng City, I’ve finally returned!
As he walked along, he quickly noticed that there were more people on the streets with strange accents, and their attire was quite different from the locals.
Previously, Qingfeng City had some foreigners, generally short, thin, and dark-skinned.
These people, however, looked similar to those from Great Jin, with differences only in voice and temperament.
Chen Ming listened closely to the conversations.
"Why are there so many Nan Chu people this year?"
"Well, these Nan Chu people are loaded with wealth; it’s going to be harder to do business in the future."
"They are Nan Chu people; how bold of them to dare do business in Great Jin territory?"
"Aren’t those old stories? Great Jin and Nan Chu have not gone to war for over a hundred years. I heard that recent battles in the north were not going well. Two months ago, Nan Chu sent an envoy to the Capital City to announce the peace between the two nations. They designated several cities for trade. Qingfeng City is one of them. These Nan Chu people have come, smelling opportunity..."
"..."
After hearing this, Chen Ming suddenly understood.
He had heard of the Nan Chu envoy during his time in Xiazhou City, but before any results came, he was assigned elsewhere.
Unexpectedly, the two countries have already reached an agreement now.
This is indeed a historic moment. Although the two nations haven’t engaged in war for more than a hundred years, there hadn’t been an official peace declaration.
Now, peace has finally come between the two countries.
For the first time in five hundred years, there was civil exchange.
To be honest, Chen Ming was quite curious about Nan Chu. Despite being just a small region with three provinces, it could withstand Great Jin’s twenty-seven provinces for five hundred years without conquest, indicating that Nan Chu is certainly remarkable.
Moreover, over a hundred years ago, the two countries fought an earth-shattering battle. The scale of the war was unprecedented and led to a stalemate with no subsequent major conflicts.
It is said that both sides suffered heavy losses in that battle. Great Jin lost nearly a million elites, leading to a decline from a period of strategic expansion to strategic contraction.
As a result, in the past few decades, the northern grassland kingdoms have repeatedly invaded, and Great Jin’s army has faced numerous defeats.
A few years ago, the critical northern area of Yincheng fell, decimating ten thousand cavalry, shocking the court, even prompting the emperor to issue an edict of self-condemnation.
This occurred before Chen Ming crossed over into this world.
However, the distance between the northern borders and Jiangzhou was too far for people to perceive its impact strongly. After the initial shock, people soon forgot about it.
Looking back, that battle indeed had a profound impact.
As Chen Ming pondered the world situation, he unknowingly arrived at the grand entrance of the Chen Mansion, feeling a sense of nostalgia.
This was his elder brother Chen Rui’s newly purchased home, located at the core of Qingfeng City, and it was quite large.
When he left for Jiangzhou City to participate in the Cyan Cloud Ranking competition, they hadn’t moved in yet. Now it’s been over half a year.
The gatekeeper was still Old Li, appearing hale and hearty, with a rosy complexion, more spirited than before.
Seeing her with an outstanding appearance and extraordinary demeanor, Old Li dared not be negligent and politely asked, "This is the Chen Mansion. May I ask who the young lady is looking for?"
"I’m looking for... Miss Yu."
"Miss Yu?" Old Li was first puzzled, then seemed to recall something, "You must be Miss Yuan. The Second Madam has already instructed us to direct you to her once you arrive."
Second Madam—
Chen Ming twitched slightly at the corner of his eye. Seeing how naturally Old Li addressed her, it was clear the entire mansion already recognized this Second Madam.
Second Madam referred to the wife of Second Young Master.
After being away from home for half a year, he unexpectedly has a wife.
Under the guidance of a servant, Chen Ming arrived at the backyard, entering a large courtyard belonging to him, where he saw Yu Haitang reading under a large tree.
Besides her two maids, Chunxiang, Xiaxiang, Qiuxiang, and Dongxiang were also serving her.
After being apart for so long, there were noticeable changes in the four young maids; they had grown a bit.
Especially Chunxiang and Xiaxiang, who now looked less like wild village girls, appearing fairer and prettier. Their cultivation also improved significantly, almost reaching the sixth grade.
It seemed they hadn’t been lazy.
Yu Haitang teased upon seeing her, "I thought you’d stay at the Prince Mansion for a few more days. Did you come back so soon?"
Chen Ming said, "I didn’t expect that a heaven-like beauty with unmatched talent like Miss Yu would marry into such an inconspicuous little family."
This statement made the four maids beside them show displeased expressions.
Yu Haitang replied indifferently, "What of a noble family? Does it make one noble? They discard even their own flesh and blood for a mere dictum. My husband, despite his humble origins, has noble character surpassing those from high and noble families."
Noble character?
Is she talking about me?
Does she have a filter for me?
Chen Ming didn’t know what to say; continuing would make it difficult for him to hold his expression. So he turned and asked, "Where are Qianqian and her junior brother?"
"They’re at home. If you wish to see her, someone can lead you there."
"No rush; since I’m a guest at your prestigious mansion, I should first meet the host, lest I be impolite."
"Elder Brother and Sister-in-law went out; they’re not home at the moment."
"Is that so."
"You’ll meet them at dinner."
Thus, Chen Ming went to visit Huo Qianqian and Li Jinchuan first.
Upon entering the courtyard where Li Jinchuan resided, he found other guests present. It was the third senior brother of the Huo Sect, Zhang Mingyu, whom he hadn’t seen for a while; he’d grown a mustache, appearing more mature, with the demeanor of a sect leader.
Zhuang Xiaotian was also there, wearing a Seventh-Grade Patrol Envoy uniform, with his cultivation greatly advanced, stepping into the sixth-grade threshold.
Chen Ming greeted them in the guise of a stranger.
At this moment, Li Jinchuan also awoke, but his complexion was still pale, and he didn’t seem very spirited.
This was understandable. The sect leader died unexpectedly, leaving him accused of poisoning the leader. Anyone facing such adversity would be deeply affected.
Zhang Mingyu consoled him, "Jinchuan, don’t think too much, focus on recovering. You’re safe in Qingfeng City, where neither White Feather Sect nor Black Feather Sect would dare act recklessly."
Li Jinchuan’s lips twitched slightly in response.
"Jinchuan, Brother Chen has always had high hopes for you; you mustn’t become dispirited, disappointing him."
Li Jinchuan’s body trembled upon hearing this, and finally, there was a glint in his eye.