Shocking! In this matriarchal society, every man wants to marry me!

Zhong Tian wasn't the only one summoned to Beijing this time; all the heads of Shunning Express's branches in the east, west, south, and north were also summoned.

They had already arrived in the capital a few days ago after their meeting. Nakata and the others, not wanting to delay any longer, hurried back to No. 7 Yongxiang.

Although the name No. 7 Yongxiang is not very grand, the entire mansion is very grand. It was the ancestral home of a fallen noble family in the capital. The descendants could not make a living and had to sell the ancestral home. Zhongtian bought it back at a low price.

This is a five-courtyard house, filled with a dazzling array of furnishings, including artificial hills and ponds.

Jin Xia and the others were already waiting in the house. Upon seeing Zhong Tian, ​​they rushed forward and grabbed his hand, overwhelmed with emotion, as they hadn't seen each other for a long time.

Zhong Tian glanced over and saw Li Yu, Sun Li, Zhou Shu, and Jin Xia. These four had become plump and prosperous; the wealth cultivated over a long period was immediately apparent. No one would guess that these people were beggars on the verge of starvation just three years ago!

The group was overjoyed to see each other. Zhongtian pulled Xia Muning aside and introduced her to everyone: "This is my husband, Xia Muning."

Everyone joked, "Of course we know that. Who doesn't know the number one young master of Yangcheng? You've already married him. You're really something."

Zhong Tian was not very happy: "It is my blessing that Mu Ning married me."

Xia Muning was grateful for Zhongtian's protection, but there were too many women in the room, so Xia Muning said goodbye and left.

Zhou Shu joked, "Sister Tian married a good husband, who is well-educated and reasonable, but she is a step behind. Sister Xia's husband is already pregnant and will give birth next autumn."

Zhongtian immediately offered his congratulations: "I will definitely give you a big red envelope when my niece is born."

Li Yu glanced at the sky outside; it was already dark. She quickly said, "Sister Tian, ​​you must be tired from your journey. The kitchen probably isn't ready yet. Let's go out to eat. There are several restaurants in the capital that serve delicious food. Most importantly, the owners are old friends."

"Old friend?" Zhongtian was shocked.

Li Yu, oblivious to Jin Xia's repeated winks, continued, "Sister Tian asked us to find the whereabouts of Young Master Xia Jin'an. Now we've found him. He's in the capital and has already opened several restaurants."

Zhongtian was caught off guard by news of his old friend.

Is he doing well?

"This is bad. His face is injured, his hair is disheveled, and he's sworn he'll never get married!"

What had Xia Jin'an gone through? Zhong Tian's heart was in turmoil, but she saw Xia Mu Ning walking this way.

She declined the invitation: "I'm quite tired from my journey. I'll just have something to eat. My dear sisters, my husband has already prepared a meal. Please have some here!"

Xia Muning led his servants into the room and placed various exquisitely prepared dishes in the center of the table.

Jin Xia and the others immediately took their leave and walked out. Only then did Jin Xia pat Li Yu on the shoulder and say with exasperation, "Why did you bring this up? Young Master Jin'an is already an old friend. Didn't you see that Sister Tian is already married!"

Li Yu said nonchalantly, "It's normal for a woman to have three husbands and four wives. Sister Tian already has Brother-in-law Xia Muning, so she can take Xia Jin'an too! Why should a woman have to remain chaste?"

After thinking about it, everyone agreed that what he said made a lot of sense.

Their main purpose in inviting Zhongtian was to the banquet, but since he didn't attend, the banquet ended. They also purchased properties in the capital and returned to their respective residences to rest.

After Jin Xia and the others left, Xia Muning sat down at the table and placed the osmanthus-flavored shark fin soup in Zhong Tian's bowl: "The person in charge of the kitchen is someone we brought back from Yangcheng, and we also hired a few chefs from the capital. My lady, please try it and see if it suits your taste?"

Zhongtian took a bite, and the taste was extremely delicious.

"Have a heart."

After Zhongtian had finished eating, Xia Muning spoke up: "The two young masters we met on the street today are the only two legitimate sons of General Yong'an's mansion. One is named Le Wentao, and the other is named Le Xingxi. They are the most popular figures in the capital."

"General Yong'an is the most renowned general in Zhaohua Kingdom. He is a warrior who strikes fear into the hearts of the enemy on the battlefield. However, he was injured in battle against the enemy two years ago and is recuperating at home."

"General Yong'an is the most favored by His Majesty. My lady, your move has helped our Zhong family establish a remarkable relationship."

"Okay, I understand." Nakata didn't care at all.

Under the soft moonlight, after dinner, Xia Muning took Zhong Tian's hand and led him to the room. In the flickering candlelight, the two whispered sweet nothings to each other.

Xia Muning felt a vague unease. He and Zhongtian had been married for over a year and had been trying their best, but his belly remained flat. If his husband did not produce an heir within three years, he would be divorced.

So tonight he put in extra effort and tried many new positions.

The next morning, Zhongtian went out in high spirits. She went straight to the Imperial Household Department, found the person in charge, and showed them the imperial edict.

The people from the Imperial Household Department were very polite when they saw the imperial edict and immediately brought tea. However, they also tactfully explained that the Imperial Household Department was currently busy preparing for His Majesty's selection of concubines and simply did not have time to arrange for Zhong Tian to meet the Emperor. They asked her to wait a little longer, and Zhong Tian very understandingly agreed.

His Majesty is only 25 years old now. He ascended the throne at the age of 15 and has been ruling for ten years. He is a wise and virtuous ruler. However, his harem is empty and he urgently needs to add fresh blood to it.

Back at the Zhong residence, Xia Muning was arranging invitations at the table.

He was extremely busy. He needed to quickly familiarize himself with the sphere of influence in the capital and figure out which ones they should befriend and which ones they couldn't afford to associate with right now.

Moreover, to understand the interests and hobbies of every househusband he needed to befriend, he would brew a cup of fragrant tea in the morning and listen to his servant chatter incessantly in his ear.

These materials had been collected intermittently ever since the decision to come to the capital was made, and what Xia Muning heard was the most important information after Shi Shu had compiled it.

He has an excellent memory and already has a clear mental diagram. After overworking his brain, he felt dizzy and lightheaded.

"Close your eyes," a gentle voice said, and a pair of hands massaged his temples from behind, slowly easing his tired mind. Shi Shu quietly withdrew.

"My lady..." Xia Muning asked in a low voice. He didn't need to open his eyes; he could recognize the person behind him as his wife from the rhythm of her breathing: "How is she?"

"The people from the Imperial Household Department said that they would arrange for me to meet the Emperor after the selection of concubines in the palace was over."

Xia Muning thought for a moment and nodded: "The matter of meeting the Emperor is indeed something that cannot be rushed. We need to find out His Majesty's preferences, otherwise we will offend him as soon as we open our mouths. My brother has occasionally revealed a word or two in his letters before, and I will sort it out."

"Ok."

Xia Muning pointed to the three visiting cards on the table. "Those who are interested will soon find out about our trip to the capital. Apart from the unimportant ones, there are only three that need to be dealt with."

Which three portions?

"The first one came from the county magistrate. During her tenure as magistrate of Yangcheng, she was transferred to the capital for her outstanding achievements and became a government official. Hearing that we had also come to the capital, she invited us to the poetry gathering out of friendship with her fellow townsmen."

Zhongtian shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this.

"The second invitation came from General Yongning's Mansion. They sent it early this morning, saying that they wanted to invite Madam Zhong to the first birthday celebration of the General's Mansion's child. General Le married a handsome husband a year ago, and they had a daughter as soon as they entered the family."

Xia Muning frowned and said, "This new husband has always been very mysterious, and we can't find out his identity? And most importantly, there are rumors in the capital that the most serious harm of General Le's injury is that he can no longer conceive a man."

"Ah!" There's so much information, I don't know where to begin.

"What about the third one?" Nakata asked, puzzled.