knife

Chapter 368 The First Aunt and the Second Aunt

Luo Hua pushed open the door to the second-floor room of Wangyue Residence and went inside.

Sitting by the window, Xiao Changche turned around and smiled, saying, "You've come?"

Luo Hua smiled and nodded, but then turned back to look at the doorway. She poked half her head out from the doorway, revealing a big eye that blinked as she looked at Xiao Changche.

"Qianli, come in!" Xiao Changche called out.

Upon hearing Xiao Changche's voice, Xiao Qianli slowly walked to the door, his head down, but he would occasionally look up at the person in front of him who was both familiar and unfamiliar.

Seeing the child's reaction, Xiao Changche glanced down at his own attire and suddenly realized something.

Right now, I'm dressed in women's clothing.

Xiao Qianli had never seen himself like this before.

Thinking about it makes me feel a little sad.

As his status rose higher and higher, it became increasingly difficult to conceal his identity. In the battle that attacked Astu, he unexpectedly saved his childhood friend, Luo Hua.

Qianli was found in a small village during that battle. The entire village had been slaughtered by the Yuan people, and only this child was left. His family stuffed him into the stove. When he was rescued, his small body was covered in black soot, but his eyes were bright and lively. Xiao Changche took a liking to the child at first sight.

So later, Xiao Changche forcibly took Astu's beloved concubine and made her his own. Ten months later, she even gave birth to a son.

In fact, Xiao Qianli's real age is one year older than what the outside world knows.

Outside, Xiao Qianli appears to be only five years old, but in reality, he is already over six.

The person who had been calling him "Dad" suddenly turned into a woman.
This was indeed somewhat perplexing for Xiao Qianli, who was already somewhat sensible.

Xiao Qianli walked over timidly, but nestled close to Luo Hua, her small hands tightly clutching Luo Hua's skirt.

He actually didn't see Xiao Changche very often.

A loving mother and a strict father—this was a true reflection of his life.

Looking at Xiao Changche, he opened his mouth, but ultimately no sound came out.

"Qianli, do you remember the story I told you yesterday?" Luo Hua smiled and hugged Xiao Qianli, asking softly.

"I remember!" Xiao Qianli nodded.

"That great hero in the story is your father!" Luo Hua pointed at Xiao Changche across from him and laughed, "But you should call her Mother now. Your mother disguised herself as a man to avenge your maternal grandparents, uncles, aunts, and many, many other relatives!"

Why would a woman dress as a man?

“Because if we don’t do this, your mother won’t be able to go to the battlefield, become a great general, and naturally, she won’t be able to avenge herself!” Xiao Changche suddenly spoke up and reached out to pull Xiao Qianli over.

Xiao Qianli was a little scared, but he mustered up his courage and looked Xiao Changche up and down.

The face was still the same, only the clothes on the body looked a little awkward.

It seems that nothing else has changed.

"Call me Mother!" Luo Hua urged with a smile.

"Then what should I call you from now on?" The child tilted his head and looked at Luo Hua. "I've always called you Mother!"

Luo Hua was speechless.

Yes, what should I call myself from now on?

“Call her Second Mother!” Xiao Changche embraced Xiao Qianli and laughed, “I am the First Mother, and she is the Second Mother!”

Looking around, Xiao Qianli asked curiously, "Then who is my father? I've never met him."

Xiao Changche was momentarily embarrassed.

Luo Hua smiled and said, "Of course you've met him, and he even gave you a lot of gifts. Have you forgotten?"

"That one riding the black horse!" Xiao Qianli suddenly remembered: "Later, Little Black went to his father—no, he went to his mother!"

"Yes!" Luo Hua laughed loudly, "It's him! Next time he comes, you can call him 'Father' openly and legitimately!"

"Okay!" Xiao Qianli nodded sensibly.

Patting Xiao Qianli's chubby face, Xiao Changdao said, "I've been training his body for the past few years, and he's almost reached his limit. Now he can start practicing martial arts."

"Cultivate the Heaven-Slaying Technique?" Luo Hua asked. "Of course," Xiao Changdao replied. "With Li Dachui around, we can ignore the weaknesses of the Heaven-Slaying Technique, and its advantages of rapid progress and great power will be even more pronounced. Naturally, we should cultivate the Heaven-Slaying Technique!"

"Isn't Li Dachui's martial arts even more powerful?"

"Qiankun Qi is not something a normal person can cultivate!" Xiao Changche shook his head repeatedly, reaching down to remove the crystal-clear jade pendant from his neck. He infused it with true qi, and blood-red characters appeared. "Think about it, can an ordinary person cultivate a martial art that can transform into the Phoenix Flame and Moonlit Weak Water, two monstrous techniques?"

Luo Hua smiled, pursing her lips: "You're calling him inhuman?"

"So what if we scolded him?" Xiao Changche pouted. "This guy is just not normal. It's one thing to be able to practice such a freakish technique, but it's also inexplicable that he advanced to the Innate Realm."

"How exactly is it so inexplicable?" Luo Hua pressed.

Xiao Changche refused to speak, his face flushed, which left Luo Hua somewhat stunned.

To be honest, in terms of talent and looks alone, Li Dachui is probably no match for Xiao Changche.

"The first phase of the publicity campaign is now fully underway!" Luo Hua said. "Storytellers, opera singers, clappers—the whole area outside the Great Wall is buzzing about you. The information that needs to be leaked is also being released little by little through various channels. I estimate that everyone will go through a process of speculation, shock, and then gradually acceptance and getting used to it."

"Yes!" Xiao Changche nodded.

"The script for the second phase has entered the final review stage. I'll show it to you when it's fully completed!" Luo Hua laughed. "I'll need you to add some details to make it look more realistic. By the time we start the second phase here, the first part should already be circulating throughout the region."

"Why haven't I heard from Mao Daxian about the progress of his plan to recruit women into official positions?" Xiao Changche asked.

Luo Hua smiled: "Mao Daxian sent people, but they weren't allowed in. City Lord Zhou sent them back. He said that your most important thing right now is to protect your pregnancy; everything else is minor!"

"Outrageous!" Xiao Changche roared. "How can you let personal matters interfere with public duty? I'm going to the Protectorate in a bit, let's see if they dare stop me!"

Luo Hua raised an eyebrow: "You can't beat him."

"He dares to lay a hand on me?"

Luo Hua chuckled: "That's true. The recruitment of women for official positions has gone quite smoothly. After all, Chief Clerk Mao managed to put Chief Clerk Qian and the others in their place. With these high-ranking officials taking the lead, the others had no choice but to follow suit. Moreover, as far as I know, some merchant families who raised their daughters from a young age were overjoyed and sent their daughters over immediately."

"Why?"

"They spared no expense in raising their daughters from a young age, hoping to find them wealthy husbands. Merchant families naturally wanted to form marriage alliances with official families, but in the past, sons of official families were not very willing to marry daughters of merchant families! Now these women can enter the officialdom on their own, and the fact that you, Ningyu, are a woman is fantastic news for them! So they are the ones most willing to believe that you are a woman!"

Xiao Changche sighed: "That's how the world is. In the end, people still think women are inferior to men!"

“It won’t be like this in Beiting from now on. Ningyu, you can promote more capable women. These people will naturally be Ningyu’s allies and will unite around you.”

"As long as someone has the ability, we will naturally promote them!" Xiao Changche nodded and said, "Now that you've taken this step, you must see it through to the end. How have you been doing at Zhi Qiu Courtyard?"

"The Autumn Blossom Courtyard is alright; there were already quite a few women there. Now, a special news department has been set up specifically for this matter." Luo Hua smiled and said, "I am the director."

"Information Department?"

“Li Dachui had planned this department before, but it was never implemented. Many of the rules and regulations within it were already written. I heard from Dean Qian that Li Dachui wrote them in his spare time. I’m looking at them now. Speaking of which, Li Dachui is really amazing. He even attached some classic cases to many of the rules and regulations, just in case that others might not understand them.”

Hearing Luo Hua say this, Xiao Changche became interested.

"What does the Information Department do? Is its main responsibility spreading rumors?"

Luo Hua's face fell, and he spread his hands, saying, "Spreading rumors is just the least technically demanding thing here, okay? The main responsibility of our Information Department is to control public opinion and set the pace. So-called public sentiment can be guided! I didn't know that before, but now I'm slowly coming to understand."

"Looks like you're enjoying yourself now!"

"Watching your carefully orchestrated plan progress step by step towards your desired goal, you must understand the joy of that, right?" Luo Hua said happily. "Just you wait, the second phase is about to begin, and your Prince Charming will soon make his grand entrance. No, wait, Li Dachui is riding a black horse. Oh well, who cares what kind of horse it is? Anyway, we'll guide the people to believe that you and Li Dachui are a match made in heaven, a perfect pair, and that even the heavens wouldn't allow it if you weren't together."

Xiao Changche smiled and stood up: "I want to see if this Information Department is as powerful as you say."

"where are you going?"

“I’ll go to the Protectorate General’s Office to take a look. Li Dachui isn’t here, and neither am I. Government affairs can’t be delayed. Many things can only be done if we sign and seal them. It’s just changing a child, what’s there to worry about?”

"Lord Zhou is guarding the manor!"

Xiao Changche snorted coldly and changed his clothes by himself.

Then, Xiao Changche went out.

Luo Hua stood in Mingyue Hall and looked out the window at Zhou Zhi sneaking out the door behind Xiao Changche. He couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Xiao Changche really figured out Lord Zhou's thoughts.

(End of this chapter)