Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 103 Undercurrents

The study of the main residence of the Duke of Zhenguo.

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair, listening to Yuan Tiangang's report.

"Your Majesty, Minister Su of the Ministry of Rites has sent over the procedures and regulations for the coming-of-age ceremony. Please take a look."

Yuan Tiangang handed over a thick booklet.

Lin Chen took it, flipped through it casually, and then tossed it aside.

"I trust my uncle to handle things. I'll leave these complicated formalities to him."

"Minister Su said that the coming-of-age ceremony is a major life event and must be celebrated solemnly," Yuan Tiangang said with a smile.

"His Majesty will be present, all the officials will be there, and the major families will also send people to observe the ceremony."

The Lord needs to prepare his speech in advance and rehearse etiquette with the ladies.

"Okay, okay." Lin Chen waved his hand.

"The Tiger Army inspection is in ten days. We'll discuss the coming-of-age ceremony after the inspection."

He paused, then asked:

"How are the preparations going with the Tiger Legion?"

"General Zhao has sent word that eight thousand iron cavalry have completed training," Yuan Tiangang reported.

"His battle formations are well-practiced, and his charge is as powerful as a Grandmaster's full-force attack. He will surely satisfy His Majesty on the day of the inspection."

"That's good." Lin Chen chuckled.

"After the inspection, give the soldiers three days off and each one a hundred taels of silver as a good reward."

"Our lord is wise."

Yuan Tiangang reported a few more things before taking his leave.

Lin Chen sat alone in the study, thinking about his next steps.

Tiger Legion inspection, coming-of-age ceremony, wedding, northern border patrol... each one is a major event.

But what he cares about most is continuing his bloodline.

It wasn't that he cared, but that his grandmother, mother, and sisters-in-law cared.

Or rather, every woman in the world cares.

Now that all seven of his sisters-in-law have consummated their marriages with him, Su Xiaoxiao's marriage won't be far behind.

The next step is to get them pregnant.

With the Pregnancy Elixir, there shouldn't be any major problems.

The Lin family will only truly prosper after the children are born.

As for court intrigues and江湖恩怨 (jianghu grievances)... those are secondary.

Lin Chen's greatest wish is to live a peaceful and stable life with his wife and children in a warm bed.

Of course, if someone is foolish enough to provoke him, he doesn't mind stretching his muscles a bit.

Just then, footsteps came from outside the door.

"Is Eighth Brother here?" It was Qin Shuyan's voice.

"Yes, Third Sister-in-law, come in." Lin Chen sat up straight.

Qin Shuyan pushed open the door and came in, carrying a plate of pastries: "I just made osmanthus cakes, please try some."

Lin Chen picked up a piece and tasted it: "Mmm, sweet and soft, Third Sister-in-law's cooking skills are getting better and better. It's done."

"I'm glad you like it." Qin Shuyan sat down opposite him, glancing at him a few times.

"Eighth brother, have you been working too hard lately? You look a little pale."

"Really?" Lin Chen touched his face. "I think it's fine."

"I'm serious," Qin Shuyan said solemnly.

"The Tiger Army inspection is imminent, the coming-of-age ceremony needs to be prepared, and there are all sorts of messy things going on in the court..."

Eighth brother, you must take care of your health and not overwork yourself.

Lin Chen coughed lightly: "Don't worry, Third Sister-in-law, I know what I'm doing."

"You're hopeless," Qin Shuyan rolled her eyes at him. "Did you stay up late again last night? I saw the study light was on very late."

"It's just a small matter," Lin Chen said vaguely, his face flushing slightly.

"Third Sister-in-law, how's things at home lately? Nothing unusual, right?"

"Everything is normal," Qin Shuyan said.

"The expenses of each institution, the arrangement of servants, and the exchange of favors are all well-organized."

The little sister has also adapted to life in the manor and is getting along better and better with her sisters.

"That's good." Lin Chen nodded. "With Third Sister-in-law here, I don't need to worry about things in the manor."

Qin Shuyan smiled and said, "You certainly know how to slack off."

The two talked for a while longer before Qin Shuyan got up and left.

Lin Chen watched her departing figure, feeling a mix of emotions.

With such capable wives, he can indeed be a hands-off manager with peace of mind.

……

A secluded mansion in Beijing.

In the secret room, a man in black robes knelt on one knee, reporting to the figure behind the screen.

"My lord, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is heavily guarded, and our people cannot get in."

However, judging from the outside, there is at least one Celestial Realm expert still in charge of the mansion.

From behind the screen, an aged voice rang out:

"The Celestial Realm... besides Yuan Tiangang and that Li Chunfeng, who else is there?"

"I don't know," the man in black said.

"That Celestial Realm expert is extremely secretive. We can only vaguely sense his aura, but we cannot confirm his identity."

"Continue the investigation," the aged voice said.

"Lin Chen's rise to prominence in just a few months must have been due to some extraordinary encounter."

Finding out his background is crucial to our grand plan.

"Yes." The man in black hesitated for a moment, then said:

"My lord, news has come from the Purple Robe Tower that Yin Jiuyou may emerge from seclusion ahead of schedule."

If he emerges from seclusion, he will surely seek revenge on Lin Chen. Should we... add fuel to the fire?

"No need," the aged voice said calmly.

"It's just right to send the Purple Robe Tower to test Lin Chen's abilities."

We'll sit back and watch them fight, waiting until they're both exhausted before reaping the benefits.

"Our lord is wise."

"What about Beishuo?" the old voice asked.

"Wanyan Honglie has already amassed troops on the border and is ready to march south at any time," the man in black said. "We await only the lord's command."

"No rush," the aged voice said.

"We'll make our move when Lin Chen goes to the northern border to patrol. By then, the Northern Shu will be heading south, the Purple Robe Tower will be seeking revenge, and the imperial court will be too busy to care about anything else... It will be the perfect time for us to start our uprising."

A fanatical glint flashed in the black-robed man's eyes: "Understood!"

"Go," the aged voice said. "Continue to monitor the situation. Report any movement immediately."

"yes!"

The man in black bowed and withdrew.

In the secret room, the figure behind the screen slowly stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the night was as dark as ink.

"Lin Chen... Lin Tianxiong's son, I hope you won't be as ignorant of the times as your father. Otherwise... don't blame me for being ruthless."

A cold laugh echoed in the secret room.

……

The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, a forbidden area in the back mountain.

Guan Yu and Dugu Qiubai are playing chess.

Suddenly, the two of them looked up at the same time, gazing in a certain direction of the capital.

"Someone is spying on us again," Guan Yu said, stroking his beard.

"Peak of the Celestial Realm, infinitely close to a terrestrial immortal... Ha, put up for sale in Seoul."

Dugu Qiubai echoed:

"They're just clowns jumping around; the Lord has already made arrangements. What harm is there in letting them spy?"

"That's true." Guan Yu nodded.

"Our lord is far-sighted and has his own plans. We only need to guard the palace and ensure the safety of our lord's family."

"That's exactly right."

The two continued playing chess, as if the spying had never happened.

But their divine senses had already enveloped the entire Duke Zhenguo's mansion.

They can sense even the slightest movement.

The capital city was very peaceful that night.

But beneath the calm surface, turbulent undercurrents are brewing.

All parties are secretly making their moves, waiting for the right opportunity to arrive.

Lin Chen, meanwhile, was sleeping soundly with Ye Qinghan in his arms.

In his dream, he had dozens of children, all of them clever and bright, surrounding him and calling him "Dad".

The scene was so beautiful that he laughed out loud.