Chapter 500
“Adoptive father, what do you think of Tu Yan?” Zhong Zhenyue asked.
“Tu Yan has long legs and knows how to dress well, but in terms of figure, she’s a bit taller…” Li Mo replied, jotting down notes as he spoke.
“And what about Shen Niangzi?”
“Shen Niangzi’s strong suit is her refined and graceful demeanor, though she’s not quite as impressive when it comes to martial arts.”
“What about the mermaid princess...?”
“If she were to throw a punch, how long would she cry?”
Li Mo remained focused, his gaze unwavering, a heartless machine for recording investments.
Nearby, someone overheard and widened their eyes. Dressed like a scholar, it was clear he was a fan of some young lady.
“Who are you talking about? I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but where can you find a perfect person in this world?”
“Han Xianzi.”
“.....”
The person silently buried their head as they entered the city.
“Indeed, no one is perfect. Doesn’t that ice princess have her flaws?”
Li Mo paused his writing, contemplating for a moment.
“Wait, does she?”
Zhong Zhenyue was taken aback.
Li Mo replied earnestly, “When I didn’t know her well, I was always worried she might slice me in half with her sword.”
“......”
After a moment, Li Mo closed his notebook; he had recorded everything he needed.
With no reason to linger, he stood up, greeted everyone, and headed towards the main hall.
As soon as he left, the brothers let out a sigh of relief. After bending over all morning, they finally dared to straighten up. With the confidence of a dragon and a tiger, they could bask in the admiration of the ladies, their spirits reignited.
Ah, since ancient times, beauty has always been paired with heroes!
Once Li Mo was gone, everyone felt like young heroes!
Who was this “Wang Qi Dou Hun” (literally “the spirit of a prosperous wife”)?
Girls who admired extraordinary talent, those who liked wealth in youth, and even those who were into niche pursuits like blacksmithing could all be charmed.
Especially Wu Chushu; with Li Mo around, he didn’t dare to show off in front of others.
Now, Old Wu was also standing tall.
With a long sword in hand, his hair seemed to sway in the wind as he strolled confidently to the front of the Xiaoxiang Pavilion’s carriage.
“I am Wu Chushu from Hengyun Sword City. I’ve long heard of Shen Niangzi’s exceptional musical talent and have come to deliver a greeting.”
“Oh.”
A soft voice came from within the carriage, and then there was silence.
The atmosphere became a bit awkward.
Fortunately, suddenly, the curtain of another carriage nearby was lifted, revealing a flower-like face with starry eyes.
“You’re Wu Chushu?” she asked.
“Oh? You’ve heard of my name? May I ask for your name, Miss?”
Wu Chushu felt a surge of confidence; this was the normal script...
“From the Hehuan Sect, I am Tu Yan.”
“Hmm...” Wu Chushu felt a bit wary at first, but after taking a deep breath, he decided to present his greeting.
It’s said that women from the Hehuan Sect are untouchable, but this Tu Yan seemed both innocent and alluring, appearing pure yet carrying an almost imperceptible charm...
Moreover, she seemed to admire him...
The stars in Tu Yan’s eyes sparkled brighter:
“I know you know that ‘Wang Qi Dou Hun’ guy, right?”
“......”
The scene fell into a deeper silence, the quiet almost deafening.
Wu Chushu felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
So, in her eyes, he was merely someone who ‘knew the guy’?
It turned out to be true.
As soon as Tu Yan finished speaking, the carriage that had previously turned him away also lifted its curtain, and she wasn’t alone.
Other young ladies either approached directly or sent maids to inquire.
“How is ‘Wang Qi Dou Hun’ as a person? Is it true what they say, that he’s a gentle and refined gentleman?”
“He’s generous, spending money like water—true or false?”
“I heard during the battle in the southern frontier, he led the charge. I really want to see how heroic he is…”
“By the way, does he take concubines?”
“If he doesn’t take concubines, can we at least have a romantic fling? A fleeting love affair counts as being favored, right?”
Surrounded by a flurry of young ladies, this was the scene Wu Chushu had always dreamed of.
But at this moment, he felt like crying, staring helplessly at the heavens.
He should have just left with Li Mo; he wanted to escape so badly...
Behind him, his brothers were lost in thought.
Li Mo had already left!
With him gone, why did they still feel so anxious, like they were sitting on pins and needles?
They had hoped to meet some girls and consider lifelong matters, only to find out that everyone wanted to be favored...
Was there anyone to manage this?
It seemed there was someone...
---
Chapter 563: Are These All Just Props?
“Achoo...”
Li Mo wiped his nose, wondering who had been talking about him, and then walked into the Heng Tong General Bank. The place was already on high alert, with soldiers stationed inside and out. Judging by the armor, they were likely the personal guards of the Prince of Southern Town.
Guided by the soldiers, he passed through the hall and headed straight to the storeroom.
The storeroom had already been organized, with various supplies piled high, and people were bustling in and out.
The officials had been sitting there for quite a while, sipping tea and making multiple trips to the restroom, their faces not looking too good.
Since when do officials wait for anyone?
This person was a merchant’s man.
But Li Mo was not a merchant; even these old foxes couldn’t figure out why he had taken on the responsibility of hosting this grand event. Saying it was a whim wouldn’t be right.
Who throws a mountain of gold around on a whim?
Sun Gui had been carefully attending to the side, occasionally wiping sweat and glancing outside. When he saw Li Mo arrive, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
“The gentlemen have been waiting for a long time. This is Lord Song, the Minister of Revenue, and this is Lord Qian, the Deputy Minister. You’ll need both of them to sign off during the inspection later.”
Zhong Qin was still dressed in a long gown today, his tone gentle, not at all like a seasoned general:
“Thanks to Li Mo’s generosity, we’ve resolved our urgent needs. We must work together to ensure this matter is handled perfectly.”
After exchanging glances, Song Baiyue and his colleague nodded slightly, “Li Mo, this is a significant matter; we cannot afford any delays. Do you understand?”
The issue of being late was brushed aside.
Li Mo had only paid a deposit; the final payment was still pending.
He didn’t even give the crown prince face; a brash young man like him seemed to have caught the emperor’s favor, so flaunting authority here wouldn’t work.
“Indeed, I just heard from Sun Gui that the materials are almost ready. Let’s start the inspection now.”
Li Mo nodded.
As he spoke, Sun Gui held a list and began to read aloud:
“One hundred bolts of plain gauze.”
“Three hundred logs.”
“Six hundred bluefish, four hundred pine nut chickens... two hundred thousand stones of fine grain... one hundred thousand stones of horse fodder...”
“Wait, stop!”
Deputy Minister Qian suddenly halted, his eyes wide as he looked at the mountains of grain being continuously delivered to the warehouse.
“Li Mo, why do you need so much grain?”
“Just like the ingredients before, to cook! It’s the Hundred Flowers Festival, a celebration for all; we need to ensure everyone eats and drinks well. What if the flowers get too thin from hunger?”
Little Li looked innocent and reasonable.
“Even so, you don’t need twenty thousand stones. Are you feeding pigs?”
Deputy Minister Qian still felt something was off.
“Oh, I have a signature dish that uses the essence of a hundred grains; it takes a hundred pounds of grain to make just one tael, and it’s delicious.”
“And the horse fodder? Can you cook that too?”
“Well, if they’ve come from afar, we can’t just let the horses run without giving them fodder.”
“.....”
Deputy Minister Qian scratched his head, feeling it was somewhat reasonable yet still off.
He glanced at Minister Song, and seeing his superior say nothing, he reluctantly nodded in agreement.
After walking a bit further...
“One hundred thousand fine iron swords, seventy thousand long spears...”
“What the heck?”
Deputy Minister Qian couldn’t hold back anymore, pointing at the mountain of weapons:
“Li Mo, are these also for the Hundred Flowers Festival?”
“It’s well known that my Han Xianzi is exceptional in swordsmanship. With a single sword dance, she can summon a thousand swords into the air. Not only that, her musical talent is unparalleled; when the ‘Heavenly King’s Battle Song’ plays, it can make weapons dance like an army.”
Li Mo spoke with conviction.
“So these are all just props for the performance?”
Deputy Minister Qian looked to the Prince of Southern Town for confirmation.
“Exactly, just props for the performance.” Zhong Qin’s lips twitched, as if he had guessed Li Mo’s intentions.
But having guessed, he had to make it sound reasonable.
Minister Song cleared his throat: “You may not understand military matters, but since the Prince of Southern Town says it’s fine, it should be appropriate.”
“.....” Deputy Minister Qian had read a lot but had never been in the military.
Yet he still felt that this didn’t seem like a way to host a grand event...
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