The sinner knows his crimes are heinous and unforgivable, yet from start to finish, I have never been involved in their treacherous plot. Still, being the son of a guilty official, my heart is uneasy, knowing I cannot clear my name of blame. Therefore, I lead five hundred loyal warriors to seek refuge with Duke An."

At this point, Chu Shou's voice lowered, and he said softly, "I hope Duke An will forgive my sins for the sake of my sister."

As Chu Shou finished speaking, the soldiers of the Chen Army couldn't help but murmur inwardly, "What a guy."

It's one thing to call out his father's name directly.

It's entirely another to completely dissociate himself without any hesitation.

Truly a pious son indeed.

Xia Zhining showed a look of disdain, clearly holding Chu Shou in contempt.

Chen Mo smiled as he helped Chu Shou and Chu Ze up, saying, "Your Highness understands reason better than Prince Huai. If the ministers in the court were as reasonable as you, there wouldn't be traitors nor the chaos of today."

Chu Shou kept his head down, silent.

"May I ask how Your Highness managed to travel from Chongzhou without encountering defenses?" Chen Mo inquired.

"To be frank, Duke An, when I learned of the news from Huai State, Chongzhou had not yet gone into lockdown. Later, when word spread, King Chong ordered a lockdown, but it takes time for messages to reach everywhere. Being the Crown Prince Huai, no one dared to stop me on my way here," Chu Shou replied honestly.

Chen Mo patted Chu Shou's shoulder, saying, "Rest assured, once I cleanse the court of traitorous ministers, I will report to His Majesty to pardon your sins. And for such a righteous act, His Majesty will surely reward you greatly."

"Thank you, Duke An." Chu Shou breathed a sigh of relief.

Chu Ze also clasped his hands in gratitude to Chen Mo, "Thank you, Duke An."

"Your Highnesses are too polite."

As he spoke, Chen Mo's gaze fell on the carriage in the center of the Huai Army, puzzled, "Who is inside the carriage?"

"The sinner's wife, Madam Gan, greets Duke An."

The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and a beautiful woman, wearing a white low-cut long dress covered with a white silk shawl, stepped down from the carriage.

Her appearance was somewhat haggard, giving off a fragile impression. A pair of large eyes on a pallid, thin face seemed to harbor a lingering hint of sorrow.

Chen Mo nodded slightly in acknowledgment. In front of so many people, he naturally wouldn't show too much.

"Guards, bring them into the city to rest and settle," Chen Mo ordered.

And their weapons, of course, would be confiscated.

Xia Zhining, witnessing this scene, frowned, particularly when her gaze fell upon Madam Gan, her eyes grew cold.

Madam Gan naturally sensed it too, feeling the other's hostility. An embarrassed look surfaced on her face, and after an awkward smile, she got back into the carriage.

...

Yuan County City.

Xiao Jing and Wu Yanqing were quite surprised to hear that Chen Mo returned so swiftly.

Upon learning that the troops were not the retinue of Prince Huai but Chu Shou and his followers seeking refuge, they frowned, Wu Yanqing especially so.

Once at the County Government Office, Wu Yanqing sought out Chen Mo alone.

"Father-in-law has something to discuss with your son-in-law." In private, Chen Mo still addressed Wu Yanqing as father-in-law.

Moreover, he was different from Chen Mo's other fathers-in-law.

He was, after all, the father of Chen Mo's legitimate wife.

"How does Duke An plan to settle Chu Shou and Chu Ze?"

Wu Yanqing didn't care how Chen Mo dealt with Madam Gan, as a woman who would lose her beauty in a few years wouldn't stir much trouble.

But Chu Shou and Chu Ze were different.

They weren't like Xiao Zheng.

Xiao Zheng was still young and could be taught.

And Prince Huai had basically never taken Xiao Zheng with him.

It's said that foster care outweighs birthright.

But Chu Shou and Chu Ze were already grown, with established thoughts and knowledge.

Keeping them close could lead to them seeking revenge for their father one day.

Wu Yanqing feared Chen Mo might raise two wolves under his roof.

"Father-in-law, rest assured, I have a plan," Chen Mo understood that Wu Yanqing was looking out for him.

"May Duke An share it with this old man?"

"It's simple, make them live the rest of their lives as ordinary wealthy men."

"Ordinary wealthy men?" Wu Yanqing was somewhat confused.

"Cut off their path to cultivation," Chen Mo said.

Wu Yanqing was taken aback, "It seems I was overly concerned."

He understood what "cut off their path to cultivation" meant.

A person who cannot cultivate is essentially a cripple; even if he harbors ill intentions in the future, he wouldn't be able to stir any trouble.

...

Upon returning to the back rooms of the Government Office courtyard, Xia Zhining stood with arms crossed at the door waiting for him.

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow, guessing what she wanted to say, "Let's go inside."

Once inside the room, with the door just closed, Xia Zhining exclaimed coldly, "Don't bring her into my house."

"I know." Chen Mo hugged her waist, his hand slipping under her skirt.

Xia Zhining, half-annoyed and half-embarrassed, slapped his hand away, "I'm all sweaty."

It was still quite hot in October.

"No problem, I don't mind. Besides, I was going to take a bath later."

Chen Mo hugged her and sat down, his hand gently exploring inside her dress, holding the tender skin.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Xia Zhining held Chen Mo's hand, insisting he explain things clearly.

Chen Mo lightly embraced her, saying, "What else is there to do? She'll stay in the Copper Sparrow Garden. There are so many empty courtyards anyway."

Upon hearing this, Xia Zhining hesitated, snorted lightly, and glared at Chen Mo, "I see, you want to fill the house and the Copper Sparrow Garden with people, only then will you settle down, right!"

This rascal, as if keeping so many women in the house weren't enough, he even wanted to keep so many outside.

"Zhi Ning, what are you saying?" Chen Mo tightened his grip slightly, "Since she came over on her own accord to take refuge, I have to arrange a place for her to stay. Madam Xiao is also in the Copper Sparrow Garden, so Madam Gan will at least have company."

"Indeed, they can both serve you together then," Xia Zhining endured the discomfort, her delicate brows furrowed.

Chen Mo: "..."

He had nothing more to say; only the Golden Cudgel could silence this overly jealous spirit for a while.

...

Back to early October.

Linzhou.

When the news of the battle reached Linzhou, the happiest people were undoubtedly the scholars who had passed the examination list.

After all, if Chen Mo had lost, his territories would have been completely divided, making their months of preparation worthwhile.

But since Chen Mo had won, the prestige of their being named on the list had increased.

The most crucial aspect of this victory was that it steadied the hearts of the people in Xiangyang City.

Duke An's Mansion.

In the rear courtyard, under the scorching sun, the jagged rocks and pavilions were a colorful sight to behold.

A glance revealed a bevy of beauties, wearing slit skirts and short dresses in shades of green, red, yellow, and purple that were a feast for the eyes.

All around were beautiful women, with some adorned in cheongsams, some in pencil skirts, some in chic fashion, and even a few in sailor outfits.

And these women were models showing off the samples from Yimei Clothing Shop to Wu Mi and others for review so they could decide whether they were ready for mass production and sale.

Yi Shiyin commented to Zhiqing with a flushed face, "This outfit is way too small, isn't it? How... how is it different from wearing nothing?"

"This skirt is too short; it looks like half of it is showing," even Nangong Ru, wearing a relatively sultry dress, remarked.

"Did Erlang come up with these designs?" Nangong Ru asked with a flushed face.