Chapter 84: Husband, You Should Take a Concubine

Taipingzhuang.

Over the past year, under Jia Sixie's management, Taipingzhuang has been developed with remarkable effectiveness.

Surrounding the central walled fortress of Taipingzhuang, a small town has already taken shape.

Within this town, a market has been established, quite large in scale; tenant farmers and herders from the vicinity conduct daily trade, and even merchants from Ma Yi and Jinyang have come, selling various everyday goods.

Upon the high tower of the walled fortress, Li Shuang announced.

"From today on, you are the mistress of this place!"

After Dugu Ru married Li Shuang, her dowry was the entire Du Gu tribe.

Three thousand elite Xiongnu cavalry, various Hu Ren servants, and vast quantities of cattle, sheep, gold, silver, and bolts of cloth.

As a woman, being able to manage such a large tribe so orderly demonstrates her own extremely strong administrative capabilities.

The first thing she did was summon the account books.

Audit the accounts!

The more Dugu Ru looked at the account books, the more she frowned.

Seeing Dugu Ru's expression, Jia Sixie, standing nearby, asked:

"Lady, is there anything unclear in the accounts?"

"Not really!"

Dugu Ru looked up at Li Shuang, a fox-like smile appearing on her face.

"I just realized you have indeed hidden quite a few good things!"

Li Shuang laughed heartily.

"From now on, affairs outside the manor will be managed by Jia Sixie, and affairs inside the manor will be yours."

Dugu Ru nodded and sent Jia Sixie away.

Only she and Li Shuang remained in the room.

Dugu Ru's gaze was very clear, a smile faintly on her face.

"What did that little niece of yours say about me?"

"Which little niece?"

"Which other little niece do you have? It's that General Er Zhu Yinge!"

It must be said, a woman's intuition can sometimes be quite terrifying.

Dugu Ru's gaze gradually became somewhat aggressive.

"Has she not spoken to you about me?"

"Why would she speak about you!"

"Really?"

"How could it be otherwise!"

Dugu Ru turned around, walked two steps, then turned back, her expression changing again.

"Husband, do you know what the most important thing you must do right now is?"

"Hmm?"

"It is to take two more concubines!"

Li Shuang wore a look of utter confusion.

"Ah?"

Li Shuang had rarely seen generous women; seeing one so generous was his first time.

Dugu Ru touched her own belly, smiling slightly:

"My belly is about to swell, and I will no longer be able to serve my husband. Rather than letting my husband pick wild flowers outside, it is better to plant two right here at home."

Li Shuang firmly refused.

"A Ru, where are your thoughts going? There is only you in my heart."

Dugu Ru let out a soft snort.

"Then why do you exchange glances all day long with those girls from the Yuwen and Heba families?"

"Where are your thoughts going? Their fathers and brothers are far from home, lonely and without support; I am merely looking after them for a while. What could possibly happen?"

"But I privately asked Yuwen Lianyu and Heba Qianxue, and they are willing too!"

Li Shuang's expression changed.

"Their willingness is their business; as your husband, I am absolutely not that kind of person. How could one look after other women's dependents and end up with them in one's own bed? It would sound terrible if it got out!"

Dugu Ru, however, gently advised:

"Husband, you are overthinking. They are unmarried maidens; if both parties consent, it is a beautiful thing. I think we should choose an auspicious day for you to take them as concubines!"

"No, absolutely not!"

Li Shuang refused again with righteous indignation, then resolutely left.

Only Dugu Ru remained in place, a smile appearing on her face.

"You dog man, you are pretending for me!"

Southern Xiurong.

"What are you stopping me for? My father has urgent business with me!"

General Er Zhu Yinge intercepted Li Shuang halfway, her expression very unfriendly.

"I heard you are going to take concubines?"

Li Shuang frowned and asked:

"How did you know?"

General Er Zhu Yinge let out a cold laugh.

"The news is already out; who in the entire Si Province doesn't know!"

General Er Zhu Yinge, very dissatisfied, looked at Li Shuang.

"This must be that woman Dugu Ru's idea!"

Li Shuang felt a bit of a headache.

How could every single one of these intuitions be so accurate!

Seeing Li Shuang say nothing, General Er Zhu Yinge grew even more angry.

"How old are you? She's already arranging a concubine for you; she's clearly targeting me!"

Li Shuang laughed it off.

"You're overthinking it; why would your third aunt target you?"

General Er Zhu Yinge stared straight at Li Shuang with her eyes, showing no restraint at all, making Li Shuang feel somewhat guilty, so he turned his face away.

"Hmph, she is targeting me; I knew it the moment she first looked at me. Don't provoke me, or I'll do anything!"

General Er Zhu Yinge threw down a fierce threat and then turned to leave.

Li Shuang shook his head.

"Who is she trying to scare!"

Inside the room, General Er Zhu Rong and Hearing Yuan Tianmu had already been waiting.

Beside them stood a man of very delicate and beautiful appearance, who began to scrutinize Li Shuang the moment he entered the room.

His gaze carried a hint of arrogant self-satisfaction, which made Li Shuang feel somewhat displeased in his heart.

"Tianba, why have you arrived so late?"

General Er Zhu Rong complained. Naturally, this grievance was not real, but intended for the man beside him to see.

"There were some matters on the road that delayed me."

Hearing Yuan Tianmu wore a smile on his face and played the good cop on the side.

"It's no matter, it's no matter; we are all family. Let me introduce you; this is Yuan Ziyou, the Secretary of the Secretariat beside Your Majesty!"

Yuan Ziyou clasped his hands and said:

"I have long heard of the great name of the Earl of Yunzhong!"

"Long admired, long admired!"

Unlike Hearing Yuan Tianmu, who was a distant relative, Yuan Ziyou's father, Prince of Pengcheng Yuan Xie, was the younger brother of Emperor Xiaowen Yuan Hong, highly respected and virtuous.

Yet precisely because of this, Emperor Xuanwu Yuan Ke was extremely wary and ordered him to be poisoned to death.

Yuan Ziyou himself was not treated harshly; he even became a study companion to Yuan Xu, and the two had a very good relationship.

This time, it was precisely Yuan Xu who sent him.

"Yuan Faseng, a follower of Prince Yuan Yi, has rebelled in Pengcheng, usurped the throne and declared himself emperor, causing great shock throughout the court; the imperial court has already dispatched a massive army to suppress it."

The situation in Luoyang is quite tense.

Prince Yuan Yi recommended Yuan Faseng for the post of Inspector of Xuzhou, but the moment he arrived in Pengcheng, he rebelled, putting Prince Yuan Yi in a very passive position.

"What worries me now is that, with enemies on both front and rear, Prince Yuan Yi may act like a cornered dog. His father, Yuan Ji, commands a large army outside, while Prince Yuan Yi controls the military power of the capital; once he rebels, it may endanger Your Majesty. Your Majesty needs you all to respond from outside, and even more needs one person to accompany me to Luoyang to coordinate from the center."

General Er Zhu Rong clasped his hands and said:

"My younger brother Li Shuang is capable of this task; moreover, he has deep ties with Li Chong and his son, and will surely draw them as allies to protect Your Majesty's safety."

After General Er Zhu Rong finished speaking, all three looked at Li Shuang.

Li Shuang felt somewhat shy.

"I am a rustic and unrefined person from the mountains; it would not be appropriate for me to bear such a heavy responsibility!"

Yuan Ziyou, however, was not at all polite.

"Precisely because of this, Prince Yuan Yi will not be alerted. Once the situation changes, you must immediately leave the city, notify Liang Jungong, and have him send troops south to punish the traitor."

After Yuan Ziyou left, General Er Zhu Rong instructed:

"Tianba, the most important thing for you this trip to Luoyang is to get the position of Inspector of Bingzhou back."

"Big Brother, Second Brother, rest assured; I, the younger brother, will definitely accomplish this matter!"

Li Shuang departed with incredibly light steps, which caused a wave of worry to arise in General Er Zhu Rong's heart.

He is not... he won't... impossible, impossible!

After all, that is Luoyang!