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

Chapter 286 Trip to Dongshan

half a month later.

Lin Chen was staring blankly out the window in his study, holding a calligraphy brush in his hand. The ink from the brush tip was almost dripping onto the paper, but he didn't notice.

This was the scene that Zhuge Liang saw when he pushed open the door and entered.

"My lord?"

Lin Chen suddenly came to his senses, his pen trembled, and the ink splattered on the paper, spreading into a black flower.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Zhuge Liang, fanning himself with a feather fan, looked at him with a smile:

"What is my lord thinking about? He seems so engrossed."

Lin Chen tossed the pen aside and leaned back in his chair:

"It's nothing, I was just thinking that I've been so busy taking care of the bride for the past two weeks that I seem to have forgotten something."

Zhuge Liang's lips twitched.

Forgot something?

You, sir, indulge in nightly revelry, spending your days with ten new wives.

I also took some time to visit Lan Fenghuang and Liu Shengxue.

Even so, he still had time to visit and offer comfort to the nine pregnant women.

The entire Prince's mansion knows that you've been incredibly busy lately.

Of course, he couldn't say that.

"My lord," Zhuge Liang cleared his throat, "I have come today with good news to report."

Lin Chen perked up: "Oh? What good news?"

Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan:

"The entire Dongshan area is now complete."

Lin Chen was stunned for a moment, then suddenly stood up:

"It's finished? So fast?"

Zhuge Liang nodded: "Li Chunfeng and I personally supervised the work, and a thousand Snow Dragon Cavalry and five hundred Shu soldiers worked day and night, finally completing it half a month ahead of schedule."

The mountaintop manor is complete, and the mountain's defensive formations are all inscribed; it awaits the lord's inspection.

Lin Chen laughed heartily, slamming his hand on the table, making the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone bounce three times.

"Good! Good! You two did a great job!"

Zhuge Liang smiled modestly:

"You flatter me, my lord. However, if I may be so bold as to ask, when does Your Highness intend to go and take a look?"

Lin Chen thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up:

"There's no time like the present, let's do it tomorrow! The weather's nice, let's take the whole family on a picnic!"

Zhuge Liang was taken aback: "The whole family?"

Lin Chen nodded: "Yes, the whole family, grandmother, mother, twenty-one ladies, and that girl Nian'er, all of them will go."

Lin Chen became more and more excited as he spoke.

"Let's take this opportunity to broaden their horizons."

Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment and said:

"My lord, isn't this... going too far? As for the guards..."

Lin Chen waved his hand, looking completely unconcerned.

"It's alright. We'll mobilize 300 Great Snow Dragon Riders, all 108 Hidden Dragon Guards, and the Eighteen Arhats will also accompany us."

As for Lord Guan, let him stay in the manor to guard against any unforeseen circumstances.

Lin Chen chuckled after saying that.

"With this kind of ostentation, those who are secretly watching will have a hard time getting ahead of them."

Zhuge Liang thought for a moment and nodded:

"My lord's consideration is very thoughtful. I will make the arrangements immediately."

He turned to leave, but Lin Chen called out to him:

"By the way, sir, please have Master Li prepare so he can personally give us a lecture tomorrow."

I need to let the ladies know just how powerful Dongshan really is.

Zhuge Liang smiled and nodded: "Yes."

……

the next day.

As dawn broke, the area in front of the Prince's Mansion was already bustling with activity.

Three hundred Snow Dragon Riders, clad in silver armor and white robes, rode tall horses, stretching from the entrance to the end of the street like a long silver dragon.

One hundred and eight Hidden Dragon Guards, dressed in black, stood expressionless in various corners, almost invisible unless you looked closely.

The eighteen Arhats stood in formation suspended in mid-air, their golden robes shimmering in the morning light, resembling eighteen Buddha statues.

Lin Chen stood at the door, looking at the scene, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad, that's intimidating enough."

Footsteps sounded behind me.

The old lady was the first to come out, wearing a dark red jacket and skirt with the character "福" (fortune) on it, her hair neatly combed, and she looked very energetic.

Seeing the grand entrance, the old lady paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Chen'er, isn't this a bit too high-profile?"

Lin Chen quickly stepped forward to support her.

"Grandma, safety comes first. You rarely get to go out, so we should let you enjoy yourself a bit, right?"

The old lady laughed: "Alright, alright, Grandmother will be in the limelight this once."

Su Wanqing followed behind, also dressed in new clothes, looking dignified and elegant.

Immediately afterwards, the twenty-one ladies came out one after another.

Leading the way was Liu Ruyan, who was more than eight months pregnant. She walked very carefully, one hand supporting her waist and the other on Xiao Yulou's arm, looking like a moving national treasure.

Today she wore a loose, moon-white long dress, her face was rosy, and her eyes held the gentle look of someone about to give birth.

But the imposing aura of the main house remained; glancing at the pomp and circumstance at the entrance, he casually remarked:

"Husband, are you planning to surround Dongshan?"

Lin Chen chuckled, "I'm just worried about you getting jostled on the road. Sending more people will ensure a smoother journey."

Liu Ruyan snorted, but the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

Xiao Yulou was supporting her from the side. She herself was four months pregnant, and her belly was slightly protruding, but it did not affect her dashing spirit at all.

Dressed in a lake-blue outfit with a cloak over it, and a short sword at his waist, he looked every bit the part of someone ready to fight at any moment.

Seeing Lin Chen staring at the sword at her waist, Xiao Yulou raised an eyebrow:

"What are you looking at? I'm protecting myself so you won't get distracted."

Lin Chen raised his hands in surrender: "You're right, do as you please."

Qin Shuyan and Wen Ruoxi walked out side by side.

Qin Shuyan, four months pregnant, was dressed in a simple blue robe and carrying an account book. She was checking accounts with Wen Ruoxi as they walked.

"...The silk shop's income last month was incorrect; we'll have to check it later."

Wen Ruoxi's two-month pregnancy was barely noticeable. Dressed in an opulent rose-red gown and adorned with a gold necklace, she looked every bit the walking God of Wealth.

She rolled her eyes after hearing Qin Shuyan's words.

"Third Sister, we're going on a picnic today, could you please put the account books away first?"

Qin Shuyan calmly put away the account book. "I'm used to it."

Wen Ruoxi shook her head, then looked up and saw Lin Chen, immediately beaming with joy:

"Husband, I heard that Dongshan is finished? I must take a good look. If the feng shui is good, I plan to open a few more shops next to it."

Lin Chen was both amused and exasperated. "That's the back mountain of our house, not a commercial street."

Wen Ruoxi retorted confidently, "What's wrong with the back mountain? Can't there be shops in the back mountain? You know how much the manor has been spending lately; we need to recoup some money, don't we?"

Lin Chen: "..."

Okay, you're really obsessed with money.

Chu Yueyao and Ye Qingying came out together.

Chu Yueyao, who was more than three months pregnant, was wearing a light pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a matching shawl over it. She looked gentle and soft, and carried a medicine box in her hand.

Lin Chen's eyelids twitched. "Yueyao, what's wrong with you...?"

Chu Yueyao smiled gently.

"Just in case, with so many pregnant women and women in the family, it's convenient for me to bring them along."

Ye Qingying spoke in a cool tone from the side.

"My second sister stayed up until midnight last night packing dozens of kinds of medicinal herbs."

Ye Qingying herself was more than three months pregnant, but dressed in a black outfit and with a cool and aloof expression, she didn't look pregnant at all.

She stood there with her pregnant belly protruding, like a cold-blooded killer. Her gaze swept across the room, and even the Hidden Dragon Guards at the door unconsciously straightened their backs.

Lin Chen leaned closer and whispered:

"Qingying, you look pretty cool today... tonight..."

Ye Qingying glanced at Lin Chen, said nothing, but nodded slightly.