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

Chapter 412 Articles of Association

The team set off early the next morning, just as dawn broke.

Lin Chen originally wanted to sleep a little longer.

These ten days of "healing" took a toll on him.

While he said he felt "great," his body betrayed him, suffering from backaches, leg cramps, and other ailments.

Last night he told Lan Fenghuang, "I'll sleep in until I naturally wake up before we set off tomorrow."

Lan Fenghuang smiled briefly but didn't say anything.

As soon as it was light, the door was banged on loudly.

"Get up, get up, get up!"

Lin Chen rolled over, burying his head in Shan Lingkongya's chest, and said in a muffled voice:

"Didn't you say I could sleep until I naturally woke up...?"

Shan Lingkongya instinctively hugged Lin Chen's head, letting out a soft, drowsy hum, still fast asleep.

"By the time you get up, it will be dark again." Lan Fenghuang's voice came through the door, sounding utterly exasperated.

"Let me sleep a little longer..." Lin Chen muttered, took a deep breath, and his hands started to wander again.

Shan Lingkongya opened her eyes groggily, not fully awake, when the door was pushed open.

Lan Fenghuang walked in and smiled apologetically at Shangshan Lingkongya.

Then he walked straight to the bedside and slapped Lin Chen's butt hard.

"Get up and set off first. You can catch up on your sleep in the carriage. Don't forget, Sister Shuyan and Sister Yulou are not pregnant for long."

"Sigh~ I know, you can go out now." Lin Chen sighed helplessly and got up.

Lan Fenghuang glanced at Shan Lingkongya, whose face was flushed, and then turned and left.

Unexpectedly, while she was waiting outside, indescribable sounds came from inside. Lan Fenghuang rolled her eyes and turned to leave.

When Lin Chen and Shan Lingkongya came out of the room, the courtyard was already full of people.

The girls had all their bags packed and were chatting away.

Lingbo remained standing on the rooftop, gazing into the distance, seemingly oblivious to what she was looking at.

Lin Chen looked up and called out, "Ling Bo! Come down! We're leaving!"

Lingbo glanced down at Lin Chen, said nothing, but lightly flew down.

At the entrance, Zhao Zilong stood in a row with his eight Vajra warriors, their armor gleaming in the morning light, shimmering with a cold light.

Zhao Zilong saw Lin Chen come out and clasped his hands in a salute: "My lord, take care on your journey."

Lin Chen walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "The Northern Frontier is in your hands now."

Zhao Zilong said solemnly, "As long as your subordinate is here, the northern border will stand."

Lin Chen chuckled: "Don't make it sound like we're about to go to war. Eat and drink as usual, and let me know if you need anything."

Zhao Zilong smiled and nodded, "Yes."

Lin Chen yawned and got into the carriage, and the women followed suit.

The carriage swayed and rattled out of Jubei City and headed south onto the official road.

The interior space is not small, but with so many people crammed in, it still feels a bit cramped.

Lin Chen, on the other hand, was quite comfortable, lying horizontally in the carriage.

Her head was resting on her thighs, her feet on her calves, her eyes closed, and she looked completely relaxed.

With her large fingers, she gently massaged Lin Chen's temples, her movements as tender as petting a cat.

Xiao Shuang pinched Lin Chen's calf while muttering to herself:

"Your Highness's legs are as hard as stone..."

Lin Chen grumbled, "I'm just tired these past few days."

"Tired?" Xiao Shuang's lips curled up. "Your Highness seems quite energetic. You were even this morning—"

"Cough cough cough!" Lin Chen coughed suddenly, interrupting her.

Yao Yao and A Yue squeezed together at the other end of the carriage, their heads close together, whispering to each other.

"What did you think Sister Lan saw when she went in this morning?" A-Yue's voice was very low, but the carriage was so small that everyone could hear her.

Yao Yao replied nonchalantly:

"You saw your husband's butt, didn't you? He even spanked me. I heard it with a loud smack."

A-Yue nodded: "I heard it too, it was very loud."

Lin Chen's face darkened: "Can't you two talk about something else?"

Yao Yao tilted her head and blinked: "Then what should we talk about? Talk about what you did with Kong Ya this morning—"

"Stop!" Lin Chen glared fiercely at Yao Yao.

Upon seeing this, Yao Yao immediately stuck out her tongue and dared not speak again.

On the other side of the carriage, Shan Lingkongya leaned against the window, her face so red it looked like it could bleed.

She was wearing a light purple cotton robe with the collar pulled up tightly, and her hair was slightly messy, clearly indicating that she hadn't had time to comb it properly that morning.

His eyes were fixed on the view outside the window, pretending to admire the scenery, but his ears were perked up more than anyone else's.

Yagyu Yuki sat next to Yamarei Sora and gently squeezed her hand.

Liu Sheng Piaopiao's cheeks flushed slightly, and she closed her eyes, not daring to think about anything.

Lan Fenghuang sat by the carriage door, leaning against the carriage wall, with an expression of watching a good show.

Lingbo sat next to her, her eyes closed and her face expressionless. It was hard to tell whether she was truly asleep or pretending.

Then, the carriage fell silent.

But after an hour's drive, Lin Chen couldn't sit still in the car any longer.

He lifted the curtain and peeked out, just in time to see a lake by the roadside.

The lake water was so clear you could see the stones at the bottom. A few white water lilies floated on the surface, and several wild ducks swam among the lotus leaves, their bottoms sticking up high, looking very relaxed.

Yao Yao also poked her head out of the window, her eyes lighting up immediately: "Husband! There's a lake!"

Then he turned to look at Lin Chen, his eyes filled with anticipation:

"Shall we go downstairs and play for a while?"

Lin Chen stretched and said, "Okay."

It's a good opportunity to go down for some fresh air and grab some lunch.

The carriage stopped, and several women got off.

Yao Yao was the first to rush over, squatted by the lake, and reached out to splash water.

Water splashed all over her face, and she giggled, turning around and calling out:

"Ah Yue! Come quick! The water's so cold!"

A-Yue strolled over slowly, tested the water, and suddenly launched a sneak attack, splashing water all over Yao-Yao's face.

Yao Yao was taken aback for a moment, and then the two of them started laughing and joking around.

Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang stood by the lake, looking at the distant mountain shadows, and talking softly.

Da Shuang said, "This lake is really beautiful."

Xiao Shuang said, "Yes, it looks like a painting."

Da Shuang added, "I wish I could live here."

Xiao Shuang nodded: "Mm."

Yagyu Yuki and Yagyu Hyou, arm in arm with Yamare Sora, slowly walked over and stood by the lake, the wind blowing their hair.

Liu Sheng Piaopiao looked up at Shan Lingkongya and said, "Mother, this water is so clear."

Shan Lingkongya smiled gently: "Yes, very clear."

Liu Sheng Piaopiao hesitated for a moment, then whispered:

"Mother, you're much happier now than when you were in the palace, that's wonderful!"

Shan Lingkongya's cheeks flushed slightly as she secretly glanced at Lin Chen. "Really! Mother thinks so too!"

Liu Shengxue's eyes flickered slightly, and she moved her lips, but said nothing.

Lan Fenghuang took a blanket out of the carriage and spread it on the grass by the lake.

Then they set out several plates of snacks, a pot of tea, and a few cups.

Lin Chen lay down on the blanket again, crossed his legs, squinted his eyes, and basked in the sun.

Comfortable!

Yao Yao ran over and squatted down next to Lin Chen: "Husband, where are we staying tonight?"

Lin Chen closed his eyes: "I'll stay wherever I end up."

Yao Yao then asked, "What about tomorrow?"

Lin Chen reiterated his previous statement: "I'll stay wherever I happen to be."

Yao Yao pouted: "That's the same as saying nothing at all."

Lan Fenghuang laughed from the side, "He just doesn't want you to ask."

Yao Yao glared at Lin Chen and ran back to the lake to continue playing in the water.