We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real?-Chapter 369: Does He Not Worry His Son Will Rebel?

The first day of the New Year.

First, visit close relatives.

Even though Xiao Mo’s standing was now no different from a legitimate son, and Zhou Ruoxi was no longer a concubine, no matter what, the Xiao Residence’s Eldest Madam, Xia Qingke, was still the head mistress of the Xiao household.

And by Qin custom, Xiao Mo still needed to go pay a visit or two.

After Xiao Mo and Qin Siyao ate breakfast in their courtyard, the two of them went to pay their respects to the Xiao Residence’s head mistress.

“Mo pays respects to Eldest Madam.”

“Siyao pays respects to Eldest Madam.”

Arriving at Xia Qingke’s courtyard, Xiao Mo and Qin Siyao performed a salute.

“Frost King and Princess, there’s no need for such courtesy. Please sit.” Seeing Xiao Mo and Qin Siyao, Xia Qingke hurried forward and helped them up. “Huan Ying, quickly bring some tea and pastries.”

“Yes... Madam.”

Huan Ying hurriedly withdrew and brought pastries out from inside the room.

Xia Qingke personally brewed tea for the two of them.

Xiao Mo looked at this enormous courtyard, yet there were only Xia Qingke and the maid Huan Ying.

Thinking about it, Xiao Mo felt Xia Qingke was rather pitiable.

Although she was the Northern Pacification King’s consort and held a special status, her second ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ son had left the world. Her eldest son was now devoted to cultivation—he had not even made it back for the New Year, sending only a letter.

And the Northern Pacification King often guarded the borderlands; whenever he returned, it was always hurried.

Xiao Mo glanced at Xia Qingke again.

That young woman from before now had a few strands of white hair mixed in.

“Eldest Madam, we prepared some New Year goods. We hope Eldest Madam won’t dislike them.”

Xiao Mo gestured to Qin Siyao. Qin Siyao smiled and set the gift box on the table in the courtyard.

“What nonsense, Frost King.” Xia Qingke poured Xiao Mo and Qin Siyao each a cup of tea. “How is your mother’s health?”

“Thank you for Eldest Madam’s concern. Mother’s health is fine.”

Xiao Mo nodded and exchanged pleasantries with Xia Qingke.

Xia Qingke asked about a few small matters from Xiao Mo’s recent days, and asked after Qin Siyao’s father and mother as well.

Both Xiao Mo and Xia Qingke deliberately avoided mentioning Xiao Yishe.

They spoke for less than a stick of incense before Xiao Mo found an excuse and took his leave.

After leaving the Xiao Residence, Xiao Mo held Qin Siyao’s small hand and walked toward the imperial palace.

On the road, Qin Siyao kept her head lowered, looking a little absent and forlorn.

“What is it?” Xiao Mo gently stroked her hair.

“Husband...” Qin Siyao lifted her head, then looked in the direction of Xia Qingke. “I think Madam Xia is so lonely. Her children aren’t here, the prince isn’t here—on New Year’s, she can only be by herself.”

“Yes.” Xiao Mo sighed softly as well. “And she still has to handle matters among the clan, maintain connections in the capital—big and small, everything is managed by Eldest Madam. It truly isn’t easy.”

Seeing the look on the woman beside him, Xiao Mo guessed what Qin Siyao was worried about and said with a smile, “Don’t worry. After we marry, whenever I have time, I’ll come back. And once the world is pacified and there is no more war, I’ll set aside armor and return to the fields. You and I will travel the world together, with mountains and rivers as our companions.”

“I’m not worried about that.”

Qin Siyao shook her head.

“Madam Xia is lonely, but I think when Madam Xia was giving everything for the Northern Pacification King, she must have been happy, too.

If you go on campaign in the future, I will also manage everything at home properly and not let you worry.

That is what a wife should do.

I was just thinking... if Madam Xia had borne a few more, then maybe her courtyard wouldn’t be so empty right now.”

“That’s possible. Then should we have five in the future?” Xiao Mo asked.

“W-who wants to have five with you...” Qin Siyao lowered her head with a flushed face and muttered, “I’m not even married in yet.”

Xiao Mo chuckled softly. He only held Qin Siyao’s hand and continued walking forward.

Entering the imperial palace, Xiao Mo and Qin Siyao paid respects to Qin Shengtian and Empress Shi.

Xiao Mo had thought Qin Shengtian would be in the inner-palace garden or in his sleeping quarters.

But he did not expect that on the first day of the New Year, Qin Shengtian was still handling state affairs in the Imperial Study, with Empress Shi accompanying him at his side.

After seeing Xiao Mo arrive, Qin Shengtian pulled Xiao Mo into a lively discussion of state matters.

Empress Shi also knew two grown men talking politics was dull, and also that it was not good to interrupt, so she took her daughter and withdrew, planning to teach her daughter a bit more about the way of being a wife.

After all, her daughter truly was too lively. And ever since childhood, she had been spoiled by His Majesty and her two older brothers. When she married out, she could not still be like a little girl who needed Xiao Mo to take care of her.

Not long after, the First Prince and Second Prince also each brought their wives to the palace.

Near noon, Xiao Mo and Qin Siyao stayed, and the family ate a meal together.

In the afternoon, everyone took their leave. Xiao Mo and Qin Siyao went to the First Prince’s place for tea, then went to pay a visit or two at the Second Prince’s.

By the time Xiao Mo and Qin Siyao returned to Frost King’s residence, it was already night.

On the second day of the New Year, Xiahou Nan brought Lian Li to Frost King’s residence to pay Xiao Mo New Year’s respects.

Lian Li had nowhere to live at the moment, so she stayed at her uncle’s residence.

After Xiao Mo and Xiahou Nan ate a meal together, they also discussed some matters along the way.

In the end, Xiao Mo decided to buy a four-courtyard compound next to Frost King’s residence. If there were matters that needed discussion, they would gather at that compound.

Time passed day by day.

Without realizing it, the flavor of the New Year gradually dispersed. By the time the Lantern Festival ended, the New Year was truly over.

Xiao Mo still cultivated daily. In idle moments he read, fished, and carried an air of retirement.

And after Xiao Mo entered the Nascent Soul Realm, Qin Siyao also began cultivating diligently.

Qin Siyao’s talent for cultivation truly was not low.

Moreover, Qin Siyao’s Dao heart was clear—she knew why she cultivated. And with Qin’s resources at her disposal, very quickly, Qin Siyao entered the late stage of the Dragon Gate Realm.

After the New Year, because the Second Prince’s wedding date drew closer and closer, after the Spring Festival, Qin’s capital gradually became lively again.

And Qin’s matter of widely recruiting guest retainers gradually spread through the various states.

More and more people of vision came to Qin, hoping a patron would recognize them as a thousand-mile steed and allow them to fulfill the ambitions of their entire lives.

And among these people—

There were those who chased fame and reputation.

There were mediocre people without ability who still wanted to gamble on luck.

But there truly were also quite a few capable people who had been buried and unrecognized.

There were even states that used this opportunity to send some of their capable people into Qin as spies.

As for the backgrounds of these guest retainers, Qin naturally investigated with increased rigor.

But for some people, their talent reached the point where it was hard to let them go.

For example, a guest retainer named Li Bin.

Li Bin was widely read in poetry and books, and he read every kind of book. What he learned was diverse, yet there were also areas in which he was highly specialized.

Moreover, Li Bin placed extreme importance on “practice yields true knowledge.” He sought truth from facts, and could make different judgments according to different problems.

Qin had annexed the Shu region for fifty years.

The Shu region relied on natural defenses and was incomparably rich—absolutely a precious land.

But the Shu region also suffered severely from flooding.

Every past ruler of Qin had wanted to govern this land well, building it into a “heavenly granary” and strategic rear that could support the unification of the world.

But Qin had tried who knew how many methods, with little effect.

At this time, Li Bin directly presented a flood-control strategy.

This flood-control strategy was written by Li Bin after three years—he personally went to the Shu region to investigate and wrote it based on actual conditions.

When Qin Shengtian heard of it, he summoned him and talked with him through the night.

Although Li Bin was found to be a spy sent by the Zheng State Ruler, Qin Shengtian still pretended he did not know. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

He only felt that if such a person was not used, then he was unworthy to be a ruler.

After speaking at length with Li Bin for days, Qin Shengtian finally decided to send Li Bin to the Shu region to govern flood control.

After Li Bin took office, with “divert water for irrigation, prevent floods and discharge silt” as the core principles, he organized the people of Shu and began managing the waters.

Li Bin built the Fish-Mouth Water-Dividing Levee. This levee was shaped like a fish’s mouth. Based on the river channel’s terrain and the inertia of the water’s flow, it could split the water six-to-four.

In spring’s dry-water period, the Min River’s water volume was small—about sixty percent of the river water flowed into the inner river, guaranteeing irrigation water.

In summer’s flood season, the water volume was large—about sixty percent of the river water discharged away through the outer river, with forty percent entering the inner river.

This prevented the Chengdu Plain from being flooded.

In addition, Li Bin built the Flying-Sand Weir spillway, located behind the fish’s mouth, between the inner and outer rivers.

Its height was carefully designed. When the inner river’s water level was too high, excess water would carry a large amount of sand and stones as it spilled over the Flying-Sand Weir, discharging into the outer river.

Using the principle of circulating flow in a bend, it could also discharge eighty percent of the silt that entered the inner river, achieving “secondary silt discharge,” effectively solving the silt deposition of the irrigated region.

In addition, Li Bin then built the Bottle-Neck Intake.

Li Bin and his son led the masses and used the method of “burn with fire, then douse with water.” On the hard rock of Yulei Mountain, they cut out a mountain gap about twenty meters wide, shaped like a bottle’s mouth.

This gap could act as the main gate that controlled the total water volume entering the Shu plain. Because it was narrow, it could limit excessive floodwater from entering the irrigated region, serving the function of a “restricting gate.”

“Dredge the shoals deep; build the weir low”—this six-character formula for controlling water was Li Bin’s summary of his flood control. Li Bin carved it into stone so later generations could take it as a lesson.

And as for what Li Bin requested during the process of water control, Qin Shengtian personally reviewed and approved it all—almost always granting what was asked. Financially, he gave enormous support. If any official did not obey Li Bin’s orders, they were directly ordered to get out of Shu.

Qin Shengtian even summoned scattered cultivators from all across Qin. If these scattered cultivators could assist Li Bin in building the great weir, they could all receive rewards of natural treasures and precious materials.

And so, in only half a year, the great weir Li Bin built had already taken initial shape—though there were still larger works to come.

Even with tens of thousands of scattered cultivators assisting, to fully complete it was still estimated to require one more year.

But for this great undertaking—merit for the present age and benefit for a thousand autumns—Qin Shengtian would not allow it to be affected in the slightest.

And in this half-year span, aside from Qin’s wide recruitment of guest retainers, some other matters also occurred.

The Second Prince, Qin Jingyuan, was granted the title King Jing, with an enfeoffed territory located in Luzhou and Jinzhou, which bordered Jin.

When Xiao Mo learned of this appointment, he wondered if he had misheard.

Luzhou and Jinzhou were Qin Jingyuan’s fiefs, yet Qin Jingyuan was still Jin’s son-in-law.

If Qin Jingyuan had any intentions, it would amount to Qin opening its gates wide to Jin.

Could it be that Qin Shengtian did not worry his own son would rebel?