Li Chengqian quickly stopped him.

"Magistrate Chen, there's no need to trouble yourself. She came with the Prince of Shu to visit my father, so she should be in Qian Province right now. She ran off and followed me here on her own, it has nothing to do with the imperial court."

Chen Cang wiped away the cold sweat that had already frozen into tiny ice beads, feeling slightly more at ease.

"Dare I ask, Your Highness the Commandery Prince, which esteemed lord in our county town is the benefactor you mentioned earlier, and which friend are you visiting? This humble official can lead the way for you."

Li Chengqian smiled and tilted his chin towards behind Chen Cang.

"No need, he's right here."

Chen Cang turned to look and saw Chen Yi walking slowly through the snow, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Brother Chengqian, why didn't you let me know you were coming?"

"I actually did send someone with a message. I suppose my benefactor, with his myriad daily duties, didn't receive it."

"Indeed, I just returned from out of town myself."

Seeing Chen Yi address the son of the Prince of Qian Province as 'brother', Chen Cang was at a complete loss for words.

He had indeed speculated that Chen Yi must have some status.

The poor study literature, the wealthy practice martial arts.

Although Chen Cang didn't know Chen Yi's specific cultivation level, he could guess it was certainly not low.

To train in martial arts to such a formidable degree, one could never be a commoner, unless they became a bandit.

But he never imagined this man actually had connections within the imperial family!

Fortunately, fortunately...

From the very beginning, he had sensed this Chen Yi was no ordinary man. He had always given him ample courtesy and face in every aspect. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Seeing Chen Yi not bowing to the royal family, the commoners all speculated that this man must also be a person of great importance.

The people of Chen Mansion must not be provoked in the future, lest one risk the 'joyful elimination' of their nine familial generations.

You might not fear death, but your nine generations do. Before you can cause trouble, your nine generations will first suppress you to death.

The servants of Chen Mansion were currently overjoyed in their hearts.

How much monthly wages Chen Mansion paid was no longer important.

With their master's connections displayed right here, they, these servants, would all be a cut above others from now on.

Chen Yun also covered her mouth, unable to believe that her younger brother was now mingling with such figures.

He had been running out every day all these years; it seems he wasn't just wandering around aimlessly.

At this moment, Chen Yi was staring at Li Lingyue, who was only six years old.

"The future Female Emperor who will command a region is now just a willful and spoiled little princess..."

Fortunately, the simulations did not inherit emotions.

No matter how passionately the two loved each other in the simulations, the real Chen Yi wouldn't harbor any thoughts of rekindling that romance with Li Lingyue.

Besides, in a dozen years, the age gap might seem like nothing.

But looking at it now, the age difference is simply too vast.

In ancient society, saying the current Chen Yi could be Li Lingyue's father wouldn't be an exaggeration.

However.

This doesn't prevent Chen Yi from resuming his old trade in the next simulation, developing a relationship with the Female Emperor.

Because that wasn't a matter of a day or two; it was the accumulation of decades of emotions and experiences. Even if there were some ulterior motives at the start, over time it became genuine affection.

Whose heart isn't made of flesh and blood?

Chen Mansion was extremely lively on New Year's Eve.

Chen Yi, Da Chun.

Shen Qingshan and his family of three.

Magistrate Chen Cang and his family of four.

Li Chengqian, who came to visit.

And Li Lingyue, who had run off and followed Li Chengqian.

As well as the Proprietress of Yuelai Inn, the cooks, the waiters, and others who had worked hard to prepare the large table full of dishes.

These people's statuses varied from high to low; according to etiquette, they shouldn't sit at the same table.

But Chen Yi didn't care about any of that.

Since you're all here, should we each have our own table?

Might as well go back to our own homes to eat then.

A New Year's Eve feast only has flavor when everyone sits together.

Thus, under the arrangements of Chen Yi, the host.

At the main table laden with delicious dishes, over a dozen people raised their cups together to celebrate the New Year.

Once everyone became familiar, even though a princess and a prince's son sat at the table, they weren't so reserved anymore.

Except for Chen Cang.

He was still terribly nervous. At first, he absolutely refused to let his own family sit at the table.

But Li Lingyue issued a strict order, commanding that Chen Cang's family must sit at the big table to eat together, as it was more lively. Otherwise, she would find the emperor and have him dismissed from his post.

Scared, Chen Cang hurriedly obeyed and sat down.

Chen Yun was already so happy she couldn't close her mouth.

Ever since Luoding Village was massacred and her parents and relatives all perished, she hadn't seen such a lively, big family gathering in a long time.

"Third Sister, this finally fulfills one of your wishes, right?"

Hearing this, Third Sister was momentarily stunned.

She didn't know that in the fourth simulation, she had wished for her traveling younger brother to return before the New Year to have a reunion meal together.

But Chen Yi was gone for decades.

By the time they met again, Chen Yun's hair was completely white.

"Yes, for a family to be able to eat together, what a blissful thing that is... It's just a pity that Father, Mother, Elder Brother, and Second Sister are no longer here. If the whole family were here, how wonderful that would be..."

Chen Yi comforted Chen Yun.

"Maybe Elder Brother and Second Sister are still alive in this world, having some extraordinary adventure right now."

"Let's hope so..."

After the meal.

Throughout Baiyun County Town, the sounds of firecrackers and fireworks erupted everywhere.

In the night sky, splendid fireworks interwove into colorful light and shadow, dyeing the snow-covered ground with rainbow hues.

Seeing the fireworks, little Li Lingyue became quite excited, jumping and bouncing around the courtyard of Chen Mansion.

Seeing this, Chen Yi directly instructed the servants to buy one hundred barrels of fireworks, setting them off until dawn.

Li Chengqian and Chen Yi sat side by side on the stone steps in front of the door, watching Li Lingyue frolic in the snow.

"Benefactor, this is the Earth-Grade Spirit Artifact you previously commissioned in White Horse City. When I passed through White Horse City, I happened to ask about it. The artifact refining master said you hadn't gone to pick it up yet, so I took the liberty of bringing it for you."

Li Chengqian handed Chen Yi a Storage Ring containing some cultivation resources and the Earth-Grade Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

"I've had a lot on my plate recently and indeed forgot to go retrieve it. I was planning to go after the New Year. You bringing it saves me a trip."

Chen Yi looked at this courtyard full of his people.

Dragons and tigers lie hidden here.

One future Son of Heaven of Great Qian, Li Chengqian.

One future Female Emperor of the Southern Borderlands, Li Lingyue.

And another, Shen Qingshan, who, through his own grand manipulations, is about to become the Shen Family Founding Ancestor.

Of course, there's also Da Chun, the Artifact Spirit of a Great Dao Immortal Artifact.

In this lifetime, the chances for this group's fates to intertwine are not many.

On New Year's Eve, keeping vigil, Chen Mansion remained brightly lit all night.

Chen Yi and Li Chengqian talked about many things.

However, Chen Yi did not spoil what Li Chengqian would experience in the future.

He worried that speaking of it might cause unexpected changes in Li Chengqian's future path.

He only reminded him that no matter what opportunities appear in life, or what kind of trials he must undergo, he must firmly seize them and never give up.

Believe that there will be a day when the clouds part and the moon is seen clearly.

As for Li Lingyue.

Telling her anything is useless.

She's too young. She'll sleep and forget everything, only remembering where she wants to go play today.

The first day of the Lunar New Year.

Li Chengqian and Li Lingyue returned to Qian Province.

Sitting in the sedan chair, Li Lingyue was still complaining.

"Baiyun County Town isn't fun at all. The fireworks were just barely worth watching..."

The little girl, who had played all through the night, mumbled for a while before falling asleep in the sedan chair.

Chen Yi paid New Year's greetings to Third Sister's family, played with Shen Jia for a while, then immediately set off on the road again without delay.

This time, Chen Yi brought Black Wind along.

But not to use him as a mount. Instead, he placed him inside the Cauldron Realm.

"Black Wind, can you eat this?"

Inside the Cauldron Realm, Chen Yi took out three Dragon-Man Pearls—Chen Yi called the pearls dropped after a Dragon-Man tribe member completely died, Dragon-Man Pearls.