Chapter 603 Confessing Your Heart
After two hours of secret talk, when Shen Dongshan walked out of the study, Luo Tianjin personally saw him off. The two of them talked and laughed, both looking satisfied and happy.

Looking at the backs of Shen Dongshan and Kui Qi walking away, Xie Xuan couldn't help but flash a hint of curiosity in his eyes, and asked: "Master, can Shen Dongshan agree to help with money?"

"I made him an offer he couldn't refuse." Luo Tianjin said quietly as he looked at the setting sun, "He's eager to give me money now."

"Oh? What's the condition?"

"Silk Road." Luo Tianjin said with a faint smile, "For this matter, we will have to trouble Yeluqin and Xunzhen to help us."

"This……"

Hearing this, Xie Xuan was stunned and said in astonishment: "In this case, does the Young King Qin know that we borrowed money from Shen Dongshan?"

"But the purpose of borrowing money may not be to recruit soldiers." Luo Tianjin said casually, "Raising troops to start an uprising, conquering cities, and pacifying the country and the people, there will be many places where money will be needed in the future. I don't think the young king of Qin wants to waste his family wealth endlessly, so when he sees me asking Shen Dongshan for help, he should be happy and will definitely not refuse."

"But……"

"Don't worry." Luo Tianjin comforted, "When the time comes, we can just make two accounts. One for the Young King of Qin, and one for ourselves. I won't let Shen Dongshan have direct contact with the Young King of Qin. As long as they don't investigate carefully, no one will be able to find any clues. Besides, even if the Young King of Qin knows that I embezzled money, what does it matter? I borrowed the money, what does it have to do with him?"

"The Palace Master is absolutely right." Xie Xuan nodded thoughtfully.

"Thank you, brother. Please sit with me!"

Right now, Luo Tianjin had solved the biggest problem, and he felt very happy and was willing to chat with Xie Xuan for a while longer.

"If my prediction is correct, we will be able to raise food, fodder and weapons before the end of the year. Brother Xie, you must recruit soldiers quickly. I have a feeling that the war between Song and Mongolia may take place in the early spring of next year."

"I was just about to discuss this with the mansion master." Xie Xuan perked up, looked around, and whispered, "The mansion master's important matters are kept secret, and even few people in the mansion know about them. Right now, on the one hand, we have to deal with Yelu Qin and Xunzhen, and discuss cooperation with them. On the other hand, we have to secretly prepare troops... It's not that Xie is deliberately lazy, it's just that I'm too busy to do anything, and I have the will but not the strength."

"That makes sense." Luo Tianjin nodded. "It's true that we are too weak to rely on just the two of us. What do you think, Brother Xie?"

"I suggest that Yan Bugui, Deng Changchuan, Huang Yulang, Murong Bai, and Deng Quan all be transferred here," Xie Xuan suggested. "Also, people like Su Tang, Luo Qi, and Liu Xunyi are loyal to the mansion master, and they are both civil and military, and can do things reliably. With their help, we will be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Luo Tianjin pondered and said, "That makes sense! But for something like this that could cost you your life, the fewer people who know about it, the better. Right now we are just making plans, and if it gets out of hand, I'm afraid it will be out of control and there will be no room for recovery."

"The mansion master's worries are not without reason." Xie Xuan said in confusion, "Why not... pick one or two tight-lipped people to help first?"

"Although Yan Bugui is reliable, she is a woman after all. It is not convenient for her to move in and out among men. Deng Changchuan is generous, but he is also impulsive. Huang Yulang is cautious, but he lacks flexibility." Luo Tianjin thought and spoke slowly, "In this case, only Murong Bai and Deng Quan are the most appropriate. Brother Xie, why don't you let them take charge of the preparation of the 'Imperial Guards' and tell them all the causes and consequences, pros and cons of this matter, how about it?"

"Okay." Xie Xuan agreed. "Among the seven heroes, these two are the youngest, daring and hardworking, and full of tenacity. They are the most suitable for the task of recruiting soldiers and buying horses."

At this point, Xie Xuan suddenly had an idea and asked hurriedly, "Master, can you think of where to place the 'Imperial Guards'? I suggested a few places before, what do you think?"

"They are either deep in the mountains or in remote areas. Most of them are deserted places with no people." Luo Tianjin said with a smile, "Although they are not easy to be found, they are too far away from us. If something goes wrong, I am afraid we will be unable to reach them."

"The Palace Master means..."

"I have thought of a perfect place." Luo Tianjin said in a secretive manner, "Shen Dongshan's Danfeng Garden can hide 100,000 soldiers."

"What?" Xie Xuan was shocked. "Danfeng Garden is in Luoyang City, in the bustling downtown area..."

"The great hide in the city, the small hide in the forest. The more dangerous the place, the safer it is." Luo Tianjin said with a faint smile, "After Zhao Yuan leaves, I will borrow Danfeng Garden from Shen Dongshan. The troops recruited during this period will be settled in the old house by the Luoshui River first."

"Yes." Xie Xuan bowed and accepted the order, and then said, "In fact, Liu Xunyi is also a rare talent..."

"No rush! It won't be too late to tell him after he and Yu'er get married. We are all family, are you afraid that he will run away? Besides, with Xuan'er's current condition, my legacy... Alas!"

Hearing this, Xie Xuan's expression changed, and he said seriously: "In fact, there is something I have been holding back in my heart. It has been like a thorn in my throat for a long time, and I can't feel relieved until I get it out."

"You and I are brothers, but you can say whatever you want!"

"May I ask... does the Palace Master really want to hand over the foundation he has worked so hard to build to Liu Xunyi?" Xie Xuan asked hesitantly, "It was fine for the Xianwang Palace in the past, but now the Palace Master is about to soar to the sky and rule the world. Once the success is achieved, it will be the country and the people, the imperial plan and hegemony, which is far beyond the reach of a single family or a rich and powerful person."

Xie Xuan's words had a hidden meaning, which made Luo Tianjin's heart move. He asked calmly, "What do you think is wrong?"

"Although Liu Xunyi is the young lady's husband, he is not the mansion master's offspring after all. Even if the child born in the future has the surname 'Luo', he is still not the mansion master's blood in his bones." Xie Xuan said worriedly, "An outsider surname is always an outsider surname. I am worried..."

Xie Xuan seemed to be hesitant to speak, as if he was having trouble finding the words to speak.

"What are you worried about?" Luo Tianjin frowned and urged, "Just speak frankly, I don't blame you."

"I'm worried that the empire that the Lord of the Mansion has worked so hard to build will end up being a wedding dress for others." Xie Xuan said worriedly, "Although Liu Xunyi is loyal to the Lord of the Mansion, who can guarantee that his descendants will not change their hearts? If something unexpected happens in the future, they no longer recognize the Luo family as their ancestors, but change their surname back to 'Liu', then the empire that the Lord of the Mansion has built with great difficulty will be..."

"hiss!"

Xie Xuan's bold speculation made Luo Tianjin take a deep breath, and an unprecedented worry rose uncontrollably from the bottom of his heart. "After all, the young lady is a woman. No matter how strong her temperament is, she can't escape the constraints of the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues." Xie Xuan added, "If the mansion master is here, he can naturally subdue them. But after the mansion master has been gone for a hundred years, can the young lady subdue Liu Xunyi alone?"

"I'm afraid that's not possible."

"Please forgive Xie Xuan for your mean heart and malicious speculation. I am worried that one day in the future, the young lady will be old and her charm will fade. What if Liu Xunyi has evil intentions and kicks the young lady away and finds a new lover? Then..."

"Stop talking!" Luo Tianjin waved his hand and suddenly interrupted Xie Xuan's words, "Although what you said makes sense, but isn't it too early to say this now?"

"Some things must be prepared for in advance, especially the continuation of bloodline, which cannot be delayed." Xie Xuan reminded meaningfully.

"What do you mean?" Luo Tianjin raised his eyebrows and asked suspiciously, "Brother Xie, you seem to have come up with a solution for me? Why don't you tell me about it?"

“I dare not!” Xie Xuan said in panic, “Although the young master still has a breath, but… he only has one breath left. Excuse me, the young master is now no different from a dead person. If you expect him to carry on the family line for the mansion master, it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven. Moreover, the lady is approaching the age of 50 and has not been in the battlefield for a long time. Her martial arts have long been abandoned, so her physical condition is not as good as before. It may be very difficult for her to give birth to a boy or girl for the mansion master. Therefore… Therefore…”

"Go on." Seeing Xie Xuan being hesitant, Luo Tianjin couldn't help but show impatience.

"Xie Xuan dares to advise me!" Suddenly, Xie Xuan knelt on the ground and pleaded with Luo Tianjin, "Please, for the sake of the bloodline of the Luo family and the inheritance of the hegemony, please take in a concubine as soon as possible to continue the incense of the Luo family."

"what?"

Xie Xuan's suggestion shocked Luo Tianjin, who said in disbelief, "You want me to take a concubine?"

"That's right!" Xie Xuan nodded heavily. "I have no selfish motives in saying this. I just don't want to watch the kingdom built by the Palace Master fall into the hands of outsiders. If you have any bad intentions, I am willing to be struck by lightning..."

"Brother Xie, you don't have to be like this. You and I are friends for life and death, and I know you very well. There are some things that only you dare to say directly." Luo Tianjin looked at Xie Xuan with a tangled look in his eyes. After hesitating for a long time, he suddenly sighed and said bitterly, "To be honest, I have secretly considered what you just said."

Xie Xuan suddenly looked up, eyes full of surprise: "Really?"

"Ling Xiaoxiao and I have long been married in name only." Luo Tianjin said calmly, "Ling Xiaoxiao has a vicious heart. No wonder Xuan'er made such a horrible mistake. It turns out that she is the same kind of person as his mother. I really don't want to face such a woman, let alone sleep with her."

"This……"

"Originally, I just wanted to find someone to spend my life with so I wouldn't be lonely, but I never thought about having another child." Luo Tianjin pondered, "But today, I was deeply touched by your heartfelt words. Brother Xie, you are right. No matter how loyal and brave Liu Xunyi is, he cannot change the fact that he is an outsider."

"What the Palace Master said is absolutely right." Xie Xuan nodded repeatedly, "Since the Palace Master has considered this matter, I wonder what plans he has?"

"Yes, but... I haven't made up my mind yet." Luo Tianjin said self-deprecatingly, "Now that I have come to this point with you today, I might as well be frank and tell you the secret in my heart, and by the way, ask you to help me with some advice."

"Xie Xuan couldn't ask for more!"

"Actually, I want to use Yu'er's wedding as an opportunity to fulfill a long-cherished wish of mine."

Why? Luo Tianjin, who was always calm and composed, suddenly became shy. Not only did he speak hesitantly, but his voice even trembled slightly because of nervousness. This surprised Xie Xuan, and he became even more curious. He asked, "What is your long-cherished wish?"

"Marry Rou'er openly and honestly! Give her the proper status and make up for what I owe her."

"hiss!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Xuan's face suddenly changed and he was speechless for a moment.

“As for Ling Xiaoxiao…” Luo Tianjin’s face darkened and he said indifferently, “The fate of her and I as husband and wife has ended. Let her go back to where she came from!”

"The Palace Master's intention... is not to take a concubine, but to divorce his wife first and then marry Xiao Zhirou?"

"In fact, for more than 20 years, thousands of days and nights, I have never forgotten Rou'er. Marrying her has been my wish for many years, but I dare not say it out loud. However... I am afraid that people will say that I have abandoned my wife, so I am still hesitant in my heart."

Just as Luo Tianjin was pouring out his heart to Xie Xuan, speaking without reservation, a red figure slowly left the courtyard wall like a zombie.

Her steps were staggering, her expression was numb, and her face was covered with tear marks.

Tears washed away her makeup, leaving patches of black, red, blue, and pink... Her face, just like her, looked like a clown who was being mercilessly toyed with.

It turned out that Ling Xiaoxiao couldn't wait to relive her old dream with Luo Tianjin, so she specially prepared a table of wine and food, and then dressed up carefully, and came to the study in advance to prepare to welcome her husband back together.

However, she did not expect that before she could relive the old dream, a basin of cold water was poured over her head, completely extinguishing the only glimmer of hope in her heart.

Just now, Ling Xiaoxiao had listened to every word of the conversation between Luo Tianjin and Xie Xuan, and it was deeply engraved in her heart.

……

(End of this chapter)