Chapter 707
A Welcome and Delightful Observation
After leaving the snowy mountains and traveling hundreds of miles away from the outer perimeter, Chen Xuan brought the little princess and the others to a picturesque valley. He had seen the pleasant environment from high above and brought them here, since they didn't have a specific destination anyway, so it didn't matter where they were.
They arrived here very quickly, in just a few minutes. They had spent some time in a pristine snow-covered mountain range. Apart from Chen Xuan, Xia Mei, Dujuan, and a few others with cultivation levels above the Innate Realm, everyone, including the little princess, Yun Lan, Yun Xin, and the little girl, felt discomfort in their eyes due to the sudden change in environment. Fortunately, Chen Xuan reacted in time, preventing any serious consequences.
Yunlan, Yunxin, and the little girl all had a certain level of cultivation and quickly adapted. The little princess, after being reminded by Chen Xuan, closed her eyes for a while and returned to normal.
In the height of summer, crystal-clear streams flow through the valley, surrounded by blooming flowers, frolicking birds, and fluttering butterflies, creating a beautiful and delightful environment.
This area is still located on the northwestern border of Yuhua Kingdom. It is highly likely that due to the climate of the snowy mountains hundreds of miles away, the drought that has affected many countries has not impacted this region.
"Husband, where are we? It's so beautiful!" The little princess, adapting to the change in environment, opened her eyes and looked around excitedly.
It's been a while since I've seen such a vibrant environment. Before, when I traveled through Rongguo, all I saw were withered and lifeless plants. The seaside is completely different from this place, which instantly lifted my spirits.
"My wife, are you alright? Do you feel any discomfort in your eyes?" Chen Xuan asked with concern immediately.
She shook her head and smiled, "Don't worry, my husband, I'm fine. It's just that I'm a little disoriented after just a short time of closing and opening my eyes, coming here from the icy environment."
Seeing that she showed no signs of distress and her beautiful eyes remained bright and sparkling, Chen Xuan finally felt relieved. Looking around, he said, "I'm not sure either. This place looked nice from a distance, so I brought you here. If you like it, why don't you stay and enjoy yourself?"
"Great! There are so many butterflies over there, they're so pretty! And there are fish in the water too. Why don't we have a picnic here?" the little princess exclaimed excitedly. She hadn't seen such an environment in a while and was a little reluctant to leave.
Since they were all out having fun, they decided to do whatever made them happy. Chen Xuan had no objections, and the group decided to stay there for the time being.
The little princesses chased butterflies and played, as if they had returned to their innocent and carefree teenage years. With Yunlan, Yunxin, and Xiamei by their side at all times, they were not worried about safety in the wilderness.
Seeing that they were having a good time, Chen Xuan didn't disturb them. Instead, he sat down on a smooth ledge by the stream and soaked his feet. The cool water was very refreshing. Although he was immune to heat and cold, he felt that summer should be like this because of the season.
Soaking his feet wasn't enough for him, and since there were no outsiders around, he simply tore off his clothes and lay down in the water wearing only his shorts. He sank to the bottom of the clear water, which was about a meter deep. His long hair swayed with the current, and it was quite interesting to see the sunlight shimmering through the water.
He had observed that the stream flowed from a cave at the bottom of the valley a few hundred meters above, and that the downstream area was thousands of feet away in the wilderness, with not a soul in sight. Naturally, it was impossible for a girl to be bathing in the wild nearby and suddenly jump out to call him a lecher.
Upon arriving here, the little princesses and the others immediately took off the warm cloaks they had worn when they went down to the snowy region. After playing around for a while, they turned around and found that Chen Xuan was gone. However, they were not panicked or worried. After searching for a while, they noticed him at the bottom of the small pool.
"My husband actually went swimming! Honestly, how old is he? He's still acting like a little kid," the little princess shook her head helplessly, noticing his behavior. She was also a little tempted, but her upbringing prevented her from doing such a thing.
Following her gaze, Yunlan and Yunxin saw Chen Xuan's masculine body through the water, which made them blush and their eyes wander. Although it wasn't the first time they had seen it and they had even bathed and touched him, it still made them blush.
Noticing their expressions, the little princess covered her mouth and chuckled, "Never mind him, let's play by ourselves. Wow, a butterfly is flying over us! Be careful, don't scare it away!"
After soaking in the stream for a while, Chen Xuan felt completely refreshed. The first thing he did after leaving the stream was to use his internal energy to dry his shorts and hair and put on his clothes. Otherwise, the wet bitter tea seeds sticking to his body would have looked rather frightening, with that bright, large clump.
While they were still playing, I simply looked around and used whatever materials I had on hand to build a small shed several meters square. I even carved tables and chairs out of stones and polished them a bit. In this environment, it didn't seem out of place at all, but rather it felt close to nature.
As he caught a few more fish, two rabbits, and a few pheasants, he noticed Du Juan approaching gracefully and saying gently, "My lord, let me do it."
"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Sister Juan." Chen Xuan nodded, happy to have some free time. Taking advantage of the little princess and the others not paying attention, he approached Du Juan, put his arm around her soft waist, and kissed her.
Her delicate body trembled, and Du Juan felt weak all over. After Chen Xuan's lips left hers, she leaned against him, lowered her head, and whispered, "Master, Madam and the others will see. How about tonight? I'll do whatever you say."
Chen Xuan released her and said, "Sister Juan is too tempting, I can't help but tease her. Go on with your work."
"Hmm," Du Juan nodded, her cheeks slightly flushed. After hesitating for a moment, she mustered her courage and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "If Master wishes, we can quietly go some distance away."
Chen Xuan's heart skipped a beat at the thought, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the little princess looking in their direction, covering her mouth and rolling her eyes. He immediately coughed and said, "In broad daylight, I'm not that absurd."
She pursed her lips and fled to the stream to prepare the ingredients, but she heard Chen Xuan secretly transmit his voice to her, saying, "It's inconvenient for Madam and the others to be nearby, but we won't let Sister Juan off the hook when we're alone together another day."
Upon hearing this, Dujuan didn't dare to raise her head, but she nodded subtly. Everything she had belonged to the master, and she would do whatever he wanted...
They had previously traveled to the snowy mountains, and although they were traveling light, they still brought essentials such as seasonings. They originally thought they would stay in the snowy region for a few days to experience life in the icy environment, but the trip ended abruptly because the environment was too irritating to their eyes. However, the seasonings they brought could be used anywhere.
After playing around for a while, the little princess and her friends returned to the shaded area built by Chen Xuan to rest. The little girls Yunlan and Yunxin worked together and soon prepared a table full of wild game.
It wasn't until Chen Xuan developed a taste for a drink that the girls brought some wine. Some wild fruits from the mountains were also ripe this season, so they made some chilled drinks using local ingredients.
It was like a picnic or outing. The group chatted and laughed, enjoying themselves by the stream. Chen Xuan looked at Xia Mei and asked, "Aunt Mei, where are we right now...? It was my oversight. Let's find a nearby town and ask around later."
He only realized when he was being questioned that he had brought them here directly, and Xia Mei probably didn't even know where she was.
However, Xia Mei looked up and said, "Master, I know how to determine direction. I just observed the surroundings. I don't know the exact location, but I have a general idea of where we are. We should currently be in the territory of Yuzhou in Yuhua Kingdom, near the border of Qianzhou in the southeast inland."
As an elite trained by the Jing Kingdom's royal family, Chen Xuan was not surprised that she possessed such skills. Recalling the map, he pondered, "Doesn't that mean that we went around the snowy region, which is equivalent to crossing a state from where we landed?"
“Yes, sir. If we continue southeast and enter Qianzhou of Yuhua Kingdom, and then cross another prefecture, we will reach Jinzhou, the secondary capital of Yuhua Kingdom,” Xia Mei said truthfully.
Nodding, Chen Xuan pondered, "Is that so? Yu Hua Kingdom moved its capital?" "Indeed, Yu Hua Kingdom moved its capital a hundred years ago. The current capital of Yu Hua Kingdom is two thousand miles away from Yu Cheng, the secondary capital of Jinzhou," Xia Mei nodded.
Chen Xuan had not studied the historical changes of Yuhua Kingdom, so how would he know this? Considering that Yuhua Kingdom was not as chaotic as Rong Kingdom, there was no need to deliberately avoid it. Chen Xuan asked with great interest, "Is there anything special about the secondary capital, Yucheng?"
Xia Mei, who was clearly well-prepared for the trivial matters of arranging the trip, asked Chen Xuan about Yucheng, the secondary capital of Yuhua Kingdom. After a moment's thought, she said, "That Yucheng is indeed quite special. As the secondary capital of Yuhua Kingdom, it is of extraordinary significance. It is presided over by the current Grand Princess of Yuhua Kingdom. This Grand Princess of Yuhua Kingdom is in her early fifties, but she reached the Grandmaster realm ten years ago. Her martial arts talent is even more outstanding than Jiang Yuan of our Jing Kingdom."
As Xia Mei said these words, the little princess subconsciously looked at Chen Xuan, her gaze carrying a hint of wariness.
Having slept in the same bed for so long, Chen Xuan roughly knew what the little princess was thinking, and said speechlessly, "Aunt Mei, there's no need to deliberately emphasize the age of that Grand Princess of Yuhua Kingdom. I really don't want to provoke any more women. Besides, I've already married Princess Qian Ning of Jing Kingdom. What would I be thinking if I went to provoke another one? Is there anything else special about Yucheng?"
Upon hearing this, the little princess relaxed her wary expression, feeling a little embarrassed, and picked up a piece of fish and brought it to his mouth.
Xia Mei didn't pay much attention to Yucheng either, racking her brains as she said, "Besides, I've heard that there's a famous Golden Branch and Jade Leaf tree in Yucheng. It used to be the capital of Yuhua Kingdom. More than a hundred years ago, Rong Kingdom sent a Golden Branch and Jade Leaf tree there as a national gift. It was difficult to transplant, so it was left there. I don't know anything else."
"Golden branches and jade leaves? Is that the kind of rare specialty plant of Rongguo?" Chen Xuan asked, speechless.
Xia Mei nodded in affirmation.
Seeing this, Chen Xuan pondered. This was something he hadn't seen even after traversing almost the entire Rong Kingdom, yet it was actually in the secondary capital of Yuhua Kingdom, not too far from them. Although they had deliberately avoided towns when passing through Rong Kingdom, thus missing the chance to see it, his wife had a hobby of collecting various leaves. So he turned to the little princess and said, "Wife, shall we go and see it?"
“Okay, whatever you decide, my husband,” the little princess nodded without hesitation. For her, it didn’t matter where they went; she was happy as long as she was with her husband.
Nodding, Chen Xuan looked at Xia Mei again and said, "It's decided then. Our next stop is Yucheng, the secondary capital of Yuhua Kingdom."
"Yes, I will arrange the follow-up. However, sir, we have already left the other group of followers far behind. They are probably only a hundred or two miles away from the seaside town. They still have a lot of luggage with them. I don't know what to do. I hope you can give me your instructions," Xia Mei said hesitantly.
Chen Xuan waved his hand dismissively, saying, "It's alright, we're not in a hurry. We'll just go sightseeing and head to Jade City first, leaving marks along the way so they can catch up as soon as possible."
"Understood, Your subordinate," Xia Mei said, relieved. If Chen Xuan hadn't made the decision, things would have been quite difficult. They had so much stuff they couldn't catch up in a short time, and they couldn't very well let Chen Xuan, the master, go and pick them up himself.
These things were none of the little princess's concern. After they finished discussing, she said with some hesitation, "Husband, our luggage is with the other group, and we don't even have a change of clothes."
Chen Xuan knew, of course, that she would almost never wear the same clothes twice since she was a child. It was indeed extravagant, but let alone her status as the most favored little princess of Jing Kingdom, even some wealthy families would suspect that their family had fallen on hard times if they wore the same clothes twice.
He himself didn't care about these things, but Chen Xuan wouldn't let his wife suffer without effort. He said nonchalantly, "It's alright, we'll find a bigger city to buy things later. We didn't bring any luggage, but we brought the money."
These are all minor issues; with money, everything is negotiable.
They happily played in the valley until sunset, surrounded by several beautiful women of all shapes and sizes, enjoying themselves immensely. Only when the last rays of the setting sun were about to fade did they leave the valley and head to a nearby prefectural city.
Although it is said to be nearby, it is actually the capital of Qianzhou, which is a thousand miles away. It is less than a thousand miles away from the next destination, Yucheng in Jinzhou. These two states of Yuhua Kingdom are adjacent.
The reason Chen Xuan traveled all the way to Qianzhou Prefecture was, of course, that he didn't want his wife to suffer. When it came to buying temporary clothes, he naturally thought that the fabrics from big cities were more likely to be of good quality.
In fact, Chen Xuan's family had a group of embroiderers, quite a few in number and with superb skills. They were part of his dowry when he got married. Steward Hua arranged for a group of them to be settled near Yang County. The clothes they usually wore were made by the embroiderers in his family. Now that they were away from home, they could only make do with what they had.
There's a saying that people can't imagine what they haven't seen. Chen Xuan had never seen what the lives of the truly powerful and wealthy were like before. After marrying the little princess, he slowly came to understand. For example, a cotton-padded coat can be a family heirloom for ordinary people, while the truly powerful and wealthy change into expensive new clothes every day.
That's the truth. He won't deliberately flaunt it, but there's no need for him to live a hard life while holding a golden bowl.
As dusk settled and the streetlights came on, the little princess strolled along the bustling street, exclaiming excitedly, "It's been a while since I've seen such a lively scene! It's not that the wilderness is bad, although it's quiet, but ultimately, places with lots of people feel more welcoming."
"Humans are social animals. If they are separated from the group for a long time, they will unconsciously regress in all aspects," Chen Xuan said, agreeing with this statement.
At this time, he was out shopping with Princess Yunlan and Yunxin, while Dujuan and the other girls went to arrange accommodations. Xia Mei went to contact another group of people and handle the official documents for entering Yuhua Kingdom. Although it was optional, it could still reduce some unnecessary trouble at crucial moments.
Counting the time, it had been almost two months since they had set foot in a crowded city. The little princess seemed to linger there, her shopping instincts clearly ingrained in her genes. Chen Xuan was happy to follow along.
"Yuhua Kingdom is indeed famous for its beautiful women, and their clothing is quite bold and unrestrained. Looking around, there are all kinds of beauties, plump and slender, which is dazzling. Husband, if you want to look, just look openly. There's no need to sneak around. I don't mind," the little princess suddenly looked at Chen Xuan and teased him, covering her mouth.
Chen Xuan immediately said, both amused and exasperated, "How could I dare to look? If it weren't for my wives and you being here, and the women on the street feeling ashamed of their self-harm, they would probably all come up and flirt with me."
Upon hearing this, the little princess paid close attention and found it to be true. Young women and wives were either openly or shyly looking at their husbands, and many of them were even actively flirting with each other.
So she quickly said, "Then husband, you should act more serious for now. Not just anyone can come into our house. Be careful, or you might accidentally attract a bunch of trouble."
"Then I'll keep my eyes straight ahead, okay?" Chen Xuan said with a laugh.
Covering her mouth with a smile, the little princess stopped teasing him and looked curiously at an elegantly decorated building on the side of the street ahead, saying, "It's so lively over there, with women coming and going. It must be a business catering to women. Let's go take a look."
Following the little princess's gaze, Chen Xuan glanced in the direction she pointed and thought to himself, "Yuexiangju is probably a cosmetics and face powder business. Women are coming and going in a constant stream, it's obviously very popular. Many girls are discussing a face powder called 'Red Thread,' which seems to be in high demand but not readily available. Is it really that good? Oh ho, it seems some women are fighting over the last one for today. Will they tear each other's clothes? This is a show I'd love to see, I'll have to watch."
...(End of this chapter)