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

Chapter 115 The Lin Family Has an Heir, Reactions from All Sides

"Gentlemen," Lin Chen raised his glass again.

"Although there was a minor incident today, it is still a joyous occasion for Mr. Lin to come of age. In addition, there is another piece of good news to announce."

Everyone looked on with curiosity.

"Our Duke Zhenguo's mansion is about to welcome a new member," Lin Chen said with a smile, his gaze falling on Liu Ruyan among the women's seats.

"The First Madam, Liu Ruyan, is pregnant, as confirmed by the Second Madam's pulse diagnosis."

Although the pregnancy is still in its early stages, the fetal energy is stable, and there is no doubt that it is a sign of pregnancy.

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent at first, then erupted in enthusiastic congratulations.

"Congratulations, Duke! Double happiness!"

"The Lin family has a worthy successor! Great news!"

"Congratulations, Madam! Congratulations, Old Madam!"

The old lady and Su Wanqing were already weeping with joy.

Surrounded by the women, Liu Ruyan blushed, her eyes filled with happiness.

Although the other six sisters-in-law were envious, they were all genuinely happy for her.

Su Xiaoxiao secretly glanced at Lin Chen, her eyes full of anticipation.

The Empress and the Princess exchanged a glance, both seeing complex emotions in each other's eyes.

Although the Lin family has had Lin Nian'er for four generations, there are no male heirs, so it doesn't really matter.

But if she's pregnant so quickly, and considering the other wives, it probably won't be long before she gets pregnant.

In this way, the status of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion became even more secure.

This is a good thing for the imperial court—the lineage of the Duke of Zhenbei has a successor, which will further stabilize the morale of the army in the northern border.

However, for the royal family, a powerful duke's mansion with an unbroken line of offspring always arouses suspicion.

Zhan Tianqiong stroked his beard and laughed:

"Congratulations, Duke Lin! Upon my return, I will prepare generous gifts to celebrate the birth of your young heir!"

The Azure Dragon Elder also said, "The Azure Dragon Sect's congratulatory gifts will be delivered in three days!"

Other factions also offered their congratulations.

Lin Chen thanked them one by one, and the banquet truly came to an end in a festive atmosphere.

As the time drew to a close in the late afternoon, the guests began to take their leave.

The Empress and the Princess rose, and Lin Chen personally saw them off.

"Duke Zhenguo," the Empress said, looking at him meaningfully.

"You handled today's matter very well, but the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against it, so you need to be more careful in the future."

"Your Majesty's teachings will be remembered by your humble servant." Lin Chen bowed.

"The wedding is in seven days. I will come again then." The Empress paused.

"By the way, we can talk about patrolling the northern border after your wedding."

Wanyan Honglie is making trouble on the border; you need to go there.

"Your subject understands."

After the Empress left, the other guests also departed one after another.

Before leaving, Zhan Tianqiong spoke a few more words to Lin Chen:

"Lord Lin, the Temple of War has taken note of what happened today. If you ever need our help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Elder Zhan, you're too kind."

Before leaving, Xuanjizi of the Tianji Academy gave Lin Chen a deep look:

"The Duke's destiny is extraordinary, and his future is limitless, but he must remember that extreme rigidity is easily broken, and excess is as bad as deficiency."

"Thank you for your guidance, Elder."

The old man with the Azure Dragon laughed and said, "Lord Lin, we are old friends. In the future, we can just give each other a heads-up when it comes to matters in the martial world."

"must."

The guests had all left; it was already early afternoon.

As the sun set, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion gradually quieted down.

……

As night fell, the study was brightly lit by candlelight.

Lin Chen changed back into his casual clothes and leaned back lazily in his chair.

Yuan Tiangang, Li Chunfeng, Zhao Zilong, Li Bai, Hua Tuo, Jing Ke, and others were all present.

"Thank you all for your hard work today," Lin Chen said with a smile. "Especially Mr. Li, your skill in turning wine into sword energy was truly awe-inspiring."

Li Bai laughed heartily:

"He did it casually, but the lord's performance today was quite like that of a duke—though it was mostly an act."

"Pretending is exhausting," Lin Chen sighed. "It's much more comfortable being a playboy."

Everyone laughed.

Yuan Tiangang said solemnly:

"My lord, the Cui family has suffered heavy losses this time. With Cui Yongsheng imprisoned, this branch of the Cui family is finished."

But the Cui family is, after all, a thousand-year-old clan with a deep-rooted foundation; they won't fall so easily, and they'll likely retaliate.

"Let them come," Lin Chen said nonchalantly. "It's a good opportunity for the Tiger Legion to practice."

Zhao Zilong said in a deep voice: "My lord, the Seven Killings Hall has been completely wiped out, and the Yama Palace will not let this go."

Furthermore, Yin Jiuyou of the Purple Robe Tower is about to emerge from seclusion. This man is vengeful and will surely come in person.

"Then let's wait for him to arrive." A cold glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes. "It'll be a good opportunity to test my sword."

Li Chunfeng calculated with his fingers:

"My lord, Yin Jiuyou will surely emerge from seclusion within three days, and the killing intent in the northern border is growing stronger. Wanyan Honglie may not be able to wait any longer."

"Northern Shuo..." Lin Chen pondered for a moment.

"After the wedding, I will take the Tiger Army on a trip. Eight thousand iron cavalrymen should see some blood."

Hua Tuo then spoke:

"Your Majesty, the First Madam's pregnancy is stable, but since she is Your Majesty's eldest son, she needs to be well cared for. This is a new prescription I have prepared to ensure a safe pregnancy."

He handed over a prescription.

Lin Chen accepted it: "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Hua."

Jing Ke whispered:

"My lord, the interrogation of the seven members of the Seven Killings Hall has been completed. They have confessed that in addition to employing them, the Cui family has also contacted people from Beishuo."

Wanyan Honglie agreed that if the Cui family could instigate internal strife in Dayan, Beishuo would take the opportunity to march south.

"As expected..." Lin Chen sneered, "The Cui family is treasonous and colluding with the enemy. Have you obtained the evidence?"

"I've got them. They're secret letters between Cui Yongsheng and the generals of Beishuo, written with a special potion, and they've already been revealed." Jing Ke presented several letters.

Lin Chen glanced at it and put it away:

"These might come in handy during our journey to the North."

After discussing some details, everyone gradually left.

In the end, only Yuan Tiangang remained.

"My lord, there is one more thing," Yuan Tiangang said in a low voice.

"Mr. Li Bai's actions today have revealed his strength, and the Empress may have some ideas about this."

"It's alright." Lin Chen waved his hand.

"Mr. Li Bai was a 'reclusive sage,' and I was merely an 'old friend.'"

Even if the Empress had such thoughts, she wouldn't dare to act rashly—a master swordsman was enough to make anyone wary.

"Your Majesty is wise." Yuan Tiangang paused.

"The wedding is in seven days. All factions will be present. Should we increase security?"

"Yes." Lin Chen nodded.

"Especially after Yin Jiuyou comes out of seclusion, the first thing he might do is cause trouble."

"Have Guan Yu and Senior Dugu keep watch in secret. If any enemy above the Celestial Realm appears, they are to handle it."

"Yes."

After Yuan Tiangang left, Lin Chen sat alone in the study, looking at the night view outside the window.

The coming-of-age ceremony was over, and he officially took charge of the household.

The wedding will take place in seven days, with eight wives entering the house, and then he'll wait to become a father...

I'm actually looking forward to it.

As for those troubles—the Cui family's revenge, the Yama's Hall's retaliation, the Purple Robe Tower's revenge, the threat from Northern Shuo…

"Let them come and we'll deal with them." He stretched and yawned. "Anyway, we have a strong and well-equipped army now, so we're not afraid of them coming."

He got up and left the study, heading towards the Plum Garden.

My sister-in-law is pregnant, so I need to spend more time with her.