After getting involved with Lu Xingzhou, Ye Tinglan felt like she had become corrupted.

In earlier times, the mere mention of assassinating an emperor and installing a puppet would have made her frown, much like some of the disagreements she had with her sister. Yet now, hearing Lu Xingzhou say it, she felt absolutely no qualms.

Similarly, Shen Tang, who was originally a proper and virtuous king, even nodded at such a suggestion.

It truly felt like being married to a blockhead and going along with it.

However, probing the emperor’s strength wasn’t easy. If Ye Tinglan were to act directly, even just by using divine sense pressure to test him, it would be an immediate declaration of war. Was such directness necessary?

Lu Xingzhou pondered for a moment, then smiled faintly, “You two don’t need to worry; your husband has his ways.”

Both women flared up in anger, “Whose husband are you? Go back to your Longyai!”

This matter was not going to be easily forgotten.

Ye Tinglan stomped off furiously. Even Shen Tang ignored Lu Xingzhou and slipped away from the back of the hall.

Lu Xingzhou chased after her, pulling her into an embrace and whispering in her ear, “Wouldn’t it be great if we also had a child…”

Shen Tang bit her lower lip, “Actually… with the current turmoil, it’s not suitable to be pregnant.”

Lu Xingzhou knew this perfectly well, but it was just that they were too concerned about the little dragon-person, wasn’t it?

Shen Tang lowered her head slightly, a bit embarrassed, “But getting pregnant isn’t that easy either. Shall we… shall we go rest?”

“Going to rest” was more of a euphemism for making love. They no longer had to worry about their biological fathers interfering with whatever they wanted to do.

Lu Xingzhou gently kissed her forehead, saying softly, “The wedding is in a couple of days. Don’t you want to save it for the wedding night?”

Shen Tang looked up, her eyes sparkling.

Although she had been more than willing for a long time, with the wedding approaching, women naturally looked forward to the wedding night. He had actually considered this small sentiment.

She had thought that with so many women around him now, his affection would be diluted, but his respect and romance instantly dispelled her small worries and jealousy. Her heart overflowed with tenderness as she whispered, “Then hold me to sleep.”

“As you wish,” Lu Xingzhou swept her into his arms and strode into the bedchamber.

In fact, this was Shen Tang’s last day staying at the Lu Manor before the wedding. Previously, she could use the excuse of “having no place to stay in the capital and borrowing her fiancé’s home.” As the wedding approached, if she still lingered at the Lu Manor, what kind of wedding procession would it be? People would gossip.

Of course, moving out didn’t mean moving into the imperial palace. There was also a “Xiawangfu” in the capital, paid for by the court. It was just that there had been too many things recently, and this residence had just been settled. The two slept in each other’s arms for one night, and the next morning, Shen Tang ran off to move into the Xiawangfu.

Hmm… if this counts as part of the dowry, Lu Xingzhou had many houses in the capital… the Lu Manor, the Huo Manor, the Xiawangfu, as well as the Qingyaoyuan from the Sheng family’s dowry, and the Peijia giving the Yanwulou as dowry.

As for the betrothal gifts, Lu Xingzhou was originally quite wealthy. He had plundered many spirit stones and elixirs when he destroyed the Fenxianglou. Later, during other instances of robbery and murder, such as in Duan Ning’s ring from the ancient realm, in addition to treasures like the Tianluo Umbrella and Soul-Binding Pearls, it was also full of spirit stones and elixirs, more than enough for a normal marriage. However, this time, the caliber of the wives was too high. Just looking at the dowry, few people could afford corresponding betrothal gifts, let alone that this dowry was only “partial.”

Fortunately, there was a kind family called the Huo family. All the wealth and industries accumulated by the family from years of wrongdoing naturally became Lu Xingzhou’s, and the imperial court didn’t even dare to claim them. This time, he was truly flush with money, offering all sorts of industries and shops as betrothal gifts as if they were worthless, because they actually were.

Now, Lu Xingzhou himself didn’t even know how much money or how many properties he had… The Huo family was simply too rich. In the past couple of days, A’nuo had been following Yang Dechang around, inventorying and taking possession. Their days were booming, and A’nuo was grinning from ear to ear, happy every day.

Then, he also planned to sell the Huo family house, finding it unlucky.

As for the Huo family’s servants, guards, and esteemed members, most were dismissed, while trustworthy strong individuals were generously paid to be retained. “Trustworthy” referred to those who had participated in intercepting Huo Xingyuan that day; this was considered their “pledge of allegiance.”

Lu Xingzhou now visibly had personal influence. While he didn’t have any first-rank members, he had quite a few second and third-rank ones, more than the Tianxing Sword Sect… If one didn’t consider his court position, but solely his identity from the Tianxing Sword Sect, Sect Master Shen’s family assets were now incomparable to Guest Elder Lu’s.

Many people used to be confused, as Lu Xingzhou had always acted as an assistant, with his power seemingly dependent on others. How would he acquire his own personal power? By slowly accumulating it through his role as a physician in officialdom, like Qi Tuizhi? That would take ages. Now, they suddenly realized that this fellow had been planning to inherit the Huo family’s legacy all along.

Even in terms of court influence, Lu Xingzhou’s faction was now much stronger than the former princess’s faction, which only consisted of a few people…

Because the inheritance, in addition to wealth, industries, and these powerful subordinates, also included an even more important group: the civil and military officials belonging to the Grand Tutor’s faction.

With the Huo family annihilated and everyone executed for their crimes, most of the Grand Tutor’s protégés and former officials would be purged. Those involved in nefarious deeds were practically doomed, or at least marginalized. Even those who merely pledged allegiance without participating in anything sinister faced dim prospects.

Lu Xingzhou, by inheriting the noble title, legitimately took over this great banner. Even if it was just to avoid being purged, this group of people would have to follow Lu Xingzhou.

This was the important reason why Lu Xingzhou had always maintained his identity as Huo Qing.

Centered around the former Grand Tutor’s faction, supplemented by the influence gained from the State Preceptor’s faction and the princess’s faction, along with the already formidable Pei faction and the Sheng family who controlled the Zhenmosi, although they could not be considered Lu Xingzhou’s direct power, they were still his in-law connections. The humble physician’s power soared overnight.

These past few days, Lu Xingzhou was busy meeting these officials and taking over their influence. Time flew by, and the wedding day arrived.

Firecrackers exploded throughout the capital, lanterns and festive decorations adorned the streets. Countless people crowded the long thoroughfares, eager to witness what the groom who was simultaneously marrying three brides looked like.

Any one of the three brides alone would be shocking: King Xia, Miss Pei, and Miss Sheng, all marrying the same man at once. While gossiping, the single young men of the capital felt their hearts shatter.

Lu Xingzhou, dressed in a bright red groom’s attire, rode a tall horse, accompanied by gongs and drums, heading straight for the imperial palace.

A’nuo, smiling cheerfully, acted as a flower child, dressed cutely like a carved jade figurine.

“I’m dead!” A commotion rippled through the street, and a female spectator screamed, “So the groom really is that handsome! I want to marry him too!”

“I want to marry him too, I want to marry him! No wonder King Xia can share a husband with others, I’d be willing too…”

“Oh, please, you wouldn’t even be good enough to be a rough maid.”

“Then why are you willing? You wouldn’t even be good enough to be part of a gang-bang.”

A fight broke out.

The crowd watched in astonishment, seeing people watching a wedding procession actually get into a fight for the first time.

This was too absurd. Was Marquis Lu a male succubus from the Demon Realm?

They had once heard stories of frail handsome men being chased and admired, only to be frightened to death in the chaos. They thought it was an exaggeration, but now they saw it was true.

Even more irritating was that he wasn’t just handsome; he was also such a young marquis, a first-rank official at such a young age, with abundant family wealth and immense power. There was truly no one like him in the world.

The men’s envy turned into numbness; when the gap was too wide, even jealousy couldn’t arise.

And then there was something even more outrageous.

The outer palace gates of the imperial palace were tightly shut. The groom dismounted, and the master of ceremonies began to call out to the gate.

The spectators were speechless.

They had seen people knock on doors of ordinary homes, but never on the palace gates.

Inside, “challenges” could actually be heard: “The brides request the groom to compose three poems. Only if they are satisfied will the gates be opened.”

The spectators were speechless.

Damn it, this was too ridiculous.

Even more ridiculous was that the groom actually recited poems: “Phoenixes fly together, relying on the Wutong tree. Harmonious and melodious, good fortune and prosperity return.”

“It is fitting to drink wine, and grow old together. With the zither and se in hand, all is peaceful and beautiful.”

“Pearl curtains and embroidered screens shroud in auspicious mist, a joyful union of a hundred years is sealed.”

Only then did people remember that this groom was not only a first-rank cultivator but also a renowned poet. The poem on the Qingyaoyuan stele, praised as ‘a single stele to awe the capital,’ was from the groom’s hand, though he usually disdained playing with such things.

Then a voice from inside shouted again, “Gate-opening fee!”

The groom mumbled, “This is a bad custom.”

“Hmm?”

No matter what kind of bad custom it was, when it involved opening the palace gates, only feelings of absurdity remained. The groom himself wanted to laugh, but in the end, he waved his hand, and three streaks of light shot into the sky and fell behind the gate.

The spectators were speechless.

So, his gate-opening fee was magical artifacts, three first-rank magical artifacts.

The city gate finally opened with satisfaction. Three palanquins and three sets of entourages waited behind, but there were only two bridesmaids, one with white hair and the other Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Duxu wondered why Jiang Yuan, who had said she was leaving earlier, was still here as a bridesmaid.

A’nuo happily scattered flowers, and the suona, gongs, drums, and firecrackers resumed. People craned their necks, watching as the three columns of people, with gongs and drums, marched out of the city gate side by side.

Was this also why you chose the palace gate? Other places weren’t big enough for three columns side by side, right?

Fortunately, our streets are wide enough, otherwise, what would you do?

Not far away, Su Yuan accompanied with a smile, asking the dark-faced Saint Lord beside him, “Sect Master, actually, no one can see what the brides look like, so why aren’t you participating?”

Ye Tinglan: “…Did I make it public for you to ask that?”

Su Yuan tilted his head.

Please, why bother?

Ye Tinglan snorted, “That idiot Ye Fuyao won’t sit in the high seat, so I will. As his teacher, I can also do it.”

Su Yuan covered his forehead.

Ye Tinglan had no time to bother with Su Yuan. As she spoke, her beautiful eyes glanced towards a certain spot.

Yuan Muyu sat silently in a wheelchair in an alley. She had said the wedding was torture for her and that she had gone home early, but in reality, she was secretly sitting here, tormenting herself.

Ye Tinglan bothered her no more. Her figure flashed, and she had already arrived at the Lu Manor ahead of time, sitting solemnly in the main hall.

Amidst the sound of gongs and drums, the groom rode ahead, and three palanquins were simultaneously carried to the entrance of the Lu Manor.

The main gate was not wide enough to accommodate three palanquins side by side.

The groom waved his hand, “Demolish it!”

The little flower child beside him pushed with both palms, and with a “bang,” the gate wall was directly pushed down. The three palanquins, unsurprised, entered the gate.

A group of artisans, already prepared, stepped forward, huffing and puffing as they built a new wall and gate on the spot.

People suppressed their amused feelings and craned their necks to look inside.

The groom was about to lift the palanquin curtain when he heard three delicate shouts simultaneously from inside the three palanquins: “What are you doing sitting in the main hall?”

*Swish, swish, swish*, the three brides ran out themselves, saving the groom the awkwardness of deciding which curtain to unveil first.

People followed their gaze and saw the State Preceptor, wearing a veil, sitting expressionlessly in the high seat.

Su Yuan sighed. This is why, why bother? If you hadn’t pulled this stunt, that Lu fellow would have had a headache just deciding which curtain to lift. By pulling this stunt, aren’t you just making him laugh his teeth out?