Chapter 468
The Zhen Nan Wang Mansion was said to be in the imperial city, but in reality, it lay between the inner city and the imperial city, surrounded by the residences of nobles and lords.
Along the way, Li Mo kept his Tianming Divine Eye open, observing the people passing by.
Two hundred years of martial comprehension remained.
For the Hammer Path, that was a lot; for the Sword Path, it was too little, just enough to deal with unexpected situations.
Yet, the Dugu Nine Swords still lacked that final push.
So, during these two days, Li Mo planned to seek out some investment opportunities in the imperial city.
“Li brother, you and Miss Ying haven’t married yet, have you?”
As the carriage slowed down, Zhong Zhenyue suddenly asked.
Wow, your reflexes are a bit slow...
Li Mo lowered the carriage curtain; the street was becoming less crowded: “No…”
“Then I suggest you hurry up and get married. Once she’s your wife and you’re her husband, it’ll all be above board. Plus, I’m curious about what marriage is like.”
As he spoke, Zhong Ling blushed and glanced at Zhong Zhenyue.
“Marriage... the image of an ice princess in a phoenix crown and bridal gown...”
Li Mo couldn’t help but imagine.
The scene was the most common one from ancient dramas: the wedding night.
What had he done in his past life to be able to lift the veil in this life and see the face of the Cold Fairy amidst the dim candlelight?
Li Mo was startled by his own thoughts and quickly reined in his wandering mind.
The ice princess was the only red Tianming, after all. Once, he had merely clutched her jade legs for rewards; how could he have dared to think of such things?
Now that he had received the rewards and learned what the ice princess had taught him, he was actually thinking about having her call him husband and wanting her to bear his children...
Little Li, you really are a rebellious beast!
“Can you have children without being married? I don’t think so...”
Zhong Zhenyue said seriously, his eyes filled with wisdom.
In his mind, only after going through the ‘marriage’ process could one have children.
“... Why do you think that?”
“No child has ever attended their parents’ wedding ceremony, so how could there be children without marriage?”
“True enough.”
Li Mo’s past life’s learning materials stirred within him.
But he chose to keep his mouth shut.
Because, to be honest...
Just thinking about those beastly ideas made him increasingly excited.
Little Li, the gentleman, believed that a gentleman discusses actions, not thoughts.
So it was better to keep his thoughts to himself; saying them out loud would change everything.
---
**Chapter 523: I’m No Longer Pretending to Be the Master’s Husband**
Li Mo had expected the renowned Zhen Nan Wang Mansion to be resplendent, but to his surprise, aside from its large area, it looked quite ordinary.
The vermilion doorposts were peeling, and the stone lion was missing a tooth. The courtyard walls appeared to have not been repaired in ages.
Standing at the junction of the imperial city, to the left was the vermilion walls and green tiles of the glazed palace, while to the right, across the street, were pavilions and towers adorned with intricate carvings.
Thus, the Zhen Nan Wang Mansion seemed to serve as a boundary between the imperial city and the inner city.
“We don’t often stay here, and many things have long been sold off. It’s a pity that the land was granted by the emperor and cannot be traded,” Zhong Zhenyue sighed, patting the stone lion.
*Clunk—*
As a result, the last remaining tooth of the stone lion fell to the ground.
He fell silent for a moment, then pulled out half a rice ball from his pocket and stuck the tooth back onto the lion.
“... Where did you get that rice ball, Lao Zhong?”
“Oh, it was leftover from breakfast. I thought I’d make do with it for lunch.”
“Is it really that bad?”
Li Mo had recently noticed that Lao Zhong was acting a bit differently.
He remembered when they were in Yunzhou, Zhong Zhenyue would spend lavishly for a demoness from a dark sect, tossing gold coins around like they were nothing.
Now he was saving leftover rice balls...
Zhong Ling jumped down from the carriage: “He just realized how poor our family is.”
Well, if he hadn’t been to the Southern Frontier, Li Mo would have found it hard to imagine.
Famed for its might in the Southern Frontier, ranked third on the land list, commanding hundreds of thousands of troops.
Put together, these words would make anyone think of a powerful lord.
But what if maintaining that army required you to dig into your own pockets while still keeping a relatively strong fighting force?
“Then I should just invest in the Zhen Nan Wang, right?”
Li Mo thought naturally.
Investing in the Zhen Nan Wang would be like investing in the entire Southern Frontier, and then he wouldn’t have to worry about martial comprehension anymore...
But it could also mean stepping into certain whirlpools.
He still needed to meet the Zhen Nan Wang first.
Zhong Zhenyue led Li Mo through a long corridor to the study. At the entrance stood several personal guards, along with eunuchs dressed in deep purple, waiting.
The eunuch announced them, and only then did Li Mo and Zhong Zhenyue enter.
“Father.”
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
Li Mo clasped his hands in greeting.
“I’ve heard much about you, Little Overlord.”
Zhen Nan Wang was seated at his desk, holding a scroll in his left hand while making moves with his right, playing a game against himself.
Dressed in casual attire, he looked more like an ordinary middle-aged man lounging at home than a military leader.
What surprised Li Mo even more was that the Zhen Nan Wang, upon their first meeting, called him that amusing nickname, something only the children of the rivers and lakes would use.
In the world of the rivers and lakes, a drink and a few words could forge a friendship.
Li Mo suddenly felt that the Zhen Nan Wang had shed his aura, becoming much more approachable.
Is this really the Zhen Nan Wang?
【Name: Zhong Qin】
【Age: 47】
【Root Bone: Qingtian Body】
【Realm: Peak of Law Body】
【Tianming: Gold with a hint of gray】
【Evaluation: Ranked third on the land list, the pillar of the Southern Frontier; however, his greatest strength lies not in martial arts, but in his strategies for commanding millions in battle.】
【Recent Encounter: Implemented land reforms in the Southern Frontier, allowing soldiers and civilians to farm independently, long viewed as a thorn in the side by the court, yet he has gained immense prestige, overshadowing the royal family of Dayu in the Southern Frontier...】
“Why did you suddenly call me here today, Uncle Zhong?”
Little Li was still good at charming his elders.
Zhong Qin brewed him a cup of tea:
“In the Southern Frontier, you risked your life without regard for personal gain. I’ve been thinking about how to thank you.”
“After much thought, I realized you probably aren’t interested in fame or fortune.”
He was a bit interested in fame... Little Li knew himself well.
“So, would you be willing to learn the strategies of commanding millions?”
---
**Bu Yun Tower.**
“It can allow me to merge the forms of the Hundred Birds and the Lunar Shadow into one.”
As Ying Bing gazed at the darkening sky, her consciousness withdrew from the seed of the Bronze Divine Tree, concluding her daytime training. She turned her attention to the art book on the tea table.
This was something Shang Qinqing had ‘accidentally left behind’ when she went out.
“Why do so many people like to read it?”
“Especially the special collector’s edition...”
It wasn’t even evening yet. Ying Bing picked up the latest chapter of *The Overbearing Empress Fell in Love with Me*. She hadn’t even flipped through it when the pages were blown open by the wind.
Chapter 134: “I’m No Longer Pretending to Be the Master’s Husband!”
If Li Mo were here, he would definitely complain that Ouyang Shixiong was a genius in this line of work.
With a title like that, it was no wonder the art book could sell in the imperial capital...
The content was even more impressive.
“...”
Ying Bing turned a page, her gaze momentarily blank.
“If we marry, there will be a thousand voices pointing fingers, rumors and slander, and our reputations will be ruined...”
...
“If a sincere love is laid before me, and I don’t cherish it well, if I must impose a deadline on this love...”
...
“First, we bow to heaven and earth, then we bow to our parents!”
“Still calling me disciple at this point?”
“Hubby...”
Well then.
*The Overbearing Empress Fell in Love with Me* was updating quickly; Ouyang was working overtime, and they had already reached the marriage part. It was a pity the plot stopped right after the bowing ceremony, just before entering the bridal chamber.
“Why does it stop here?”
“Didn’t they finish the drawing...?”
At first, Ying Bing didn’t think much of it, but as she read to the end, she felt reluctant to part with it, and then suddenly her gaze went blank.
Why had she unknowingly finished reading the art book?
And... why was the immersion so strong?
Hmm, it must be that the art book was drawn too well, far too captivating...
She glanced at the sky and then got up to head downstairs.
“Hmm? Where’s my art book? I haven’t finished reading it; where did it go?”
In the hall, as soon as Shang Qinqing saw Ying Bing approaching, she cleared her throat, her voice not small.
“Little Bing, do you have any clues?”
“I have a copy in my room; I don’t know if it’s yours.” Ying Bing said expressionlessly, looking elsewhere.
“Ah, this edition of the art book is quite beautiful. I’ve only read half of it; what happens next?”
“I haven’t read it.”
Ying Bing remained calm and composed, showing no signs of being fooled.
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