Pick up a princess to be your wife

There is still a long way to go before the administrative structure of Luyang Prefecture can be perfected.

The current number of government departments is far from enough.

Professional tasks should be left to professionals.

Ma Rulong is skilled at digging tunnels; he's a natural-born engineer.

“There’s a shortage of positions in the government office right now, so I need to arrange a suitable position for Brother Ma as soon as possible,” Li Mu said.

"Am I... not going to lead troops into battle?" Ma Rulong asked.

Although this battle was lost, it does not mean that Ma Rulong's ability to lead troops is poor; it just means that he has not yet had the opportunity to demonstrate it.

"Brother Ma, you may not know this, but we all hold multiple positions now. There are more than two million people in Luyang Prefecture, and we have to manage all aspects of life."

As for military campaigns, the White Horse Army had a set plan for deployment. The White Horse Army did not have a single commander-in-chief; instead, each unit commander was responsible for military affairs. When it was time to set out, the military affairs office would select the principal and deputy commanders to lead the troops.

Li Mu explained.

“Xingzhou is the county magistrate of Luyang County, Ertie is the military governor of Lingnan Circuit, and Wenjing is the pacification commissioner of Lingnan Circuit. In addition to military affairs, they also have to manage political and civil affairs,” Sima Xiangyue explained.

“After Brother Ma takes office, he will naturally also join the military affairs office and assume a position,” Li Mu said.

"I see." Ma Rulong nodded.

"Brother Ma, take the lead in establishing a construction office. You will be in charge of selecting all the adjutants and subordinates, and you will also decide how many servants are needed."

You serve as the Supervisor, a third-rank official, with an annual salary of eight hundred taels. Your deputy is a third-rank official, with an annual salary of six hundred taels. The salaries of all other subordinate officials will be calculated according to the rank system of Luyang Prefecture.

The entire Lingnan Road area, including road paving, bridge construction, housing development, and water conservancy projects, was managed or supervised by the Public Works Bureau.

Li Mu said.

Ma Rulong understood that he had jurisdiction over the development and construction of the entire Lingnan Road.

This is definitely a lucrative job, and the authority involved is quite high.

Li Mu had only known him for a short time, yet he dared to entrust him with such great power. What a fine example of trusting one's subordinates!

Such magnanimity and bearing are truly beyond the reach of Wu Fengxian.

Looking across the world, there are probably very few people who can compare to him.

“Thank you for your kindness, my brother. I dare not say that I will devote myself to this cause until my dying breath, but I will certainly do my best,” Ma Rulong said.

"I must make this clear from the start: everyone in Luyang Prefecture keeps public and private matters separate. I address you as a brother in private, but if you fail to achieve anything in official business, I will remove you from your post."

Everyone you see here is capable. Those in positions of authority possess the necessary skills. Our Luyang Prefectural Government doesn't tolerate idlers.

Li Mu said.

What a fine example of not supporting idlers!

Ma Rulong is no ordinary man.

His father was the Minister of Works, in charge of all construction projects in the country. Although he didn't inherit all of his father's skills, he learned a lot of the essentials.

He wasn't afraid of not improving himself by associating with this group of people who dared to explore and innovate.

“Brother, I only pay four hundred taels a year, aren’t you being biased?” Sima Xiangyue asked with a smile.

"A unified standard will be established in the future."

At this moment, Li Mu started to have a headache.

"Deputy Supervisor Xu, are there any outbuildings in the outer city that can be opened to the public? This government office is indeed too small; we need a new one to handle our affairs," Li Mu asked.

"The government office is expected to be completed in another half month. In addition, four neighborhoods and a market can be delivered at the same time," Xu Yi replied.

“Perfect timing, Brother Ma has just taken office, so the inspection work will be handled by you. Once we’re done with today’s tasks, take me to see it,” Li Mu said.

"it is good."

Next, Li Mu let everyone get busy with their own tasks, while he explained the specific situation of Luyang Prefecture to Ma Rulong, as well as the specific matters that the Public Works Office should be responsible for.

That evening, Zhong Wu hosted a celebratory banquet at several tables.

After that, Li Mu and Xu Yi rode together in a carriage and left the city.

Xu Yi sat upright in the carriage, closing his eyes to rest.

At that moment, a hand landed on Xu Yi's thigh.

There were only Li Mu and her in the carriage; if it wasn't Li Mu, no one else would have taken advantage of her.

Just as Li Mu placed his hand on her thigh, Xu Yi's body began to tremble slightly.

Like a wild beast locked deep within one's heart, it is frantically attacking its cage.

She was still the Queen Consort of Chu, but she and the King of Chu had long since ceased to be husband and wife.

Those two dreams of sleeping with Li Mu remained lingering in her mind.

Sensing Li Mu pulling up the hem of her skirt, Xu Yi suddenly opened her eyes and grabbed Li Mu's wrist.

"doing what?"

"It hurts!"

Li Mu immediately bared his teeth in a grimacing expression.

This wasn't something Li Mu faked; Xu Yi's grip was genuinely very strong.

Xu Yi flung Li Mu's hand away, his face growing increasingly cold.

Li Mu flicked his wrist and suddenly grinned mischievously.

"To be honest, I just love your face—aloof, cold, as if no man in the world could conquer you."

Xu Yi didn't bother with Li Mu.

Li Mu suddenly wrapped his arms around Xu Yi's waist and pressed his head against hers.

Xu Yi quickly grabbed Li Mu's groping hand, and just as he was about to exert force, Li Mu suddenly reached out with his other hand and hugged Xu Yi's waist from the front. Then, with a forceful pull, he lifted Xu Yi up and dragged him backward, and Xu Yi ended up sitting on Li Mu's lap.

"What are you doing? Aren't you afraid someone will see?" Xu Yi said coldly.

"You've been stealing glances at me thirty-nine times all day. Tell me, have you been missing me?" Li Mu asked.

Although Xu Yi's face was extremely pale, the moment Li Mu touched her thigh, her heart had already fallen for him.

At this moment, the beast hidden deep within his heart had already burst forth.

"If you weren't spying on me, how would you know I was spying on you?"

"Tell me, did you miss me?"

"You lecherous bastard," Xu Yi sneered.

At this moment, Li Mu lifted one of Xu Yi's legs and placed it on the other side, then put his arm around Xu Yi's waist and pulled him forward.

Xu Yi was about the same height as her, and now that Xu Yi was sitting on his lap, his gaze was level with Xu Yi's heart.

Her clothes must have been very tight, obscuring the view.

“I, Li Mu, am now considered a hero in my own right. What hero in this world doesn’t love a beautiful woman? Especially one who is both talented and beautiful? Don’t you think so? This isn’t the first time I’ve made a move on her. Don’t you know what I’m thinking?” Li Mu said with a smile.

Xu Yi stared coldly at Li Mu, her eyes filled with shame and indignation, yet also tinged with a hint of resentment.

"Since you, Li Xingzhou, are a hero of this region, how could you do such a petty and despicable thing? Is this the behavior of a hero?"

Li Mu smiled faintly, gently sniffed Xu Yi's alluring scent, and said softly.

"The clouds think of my clothes, the flowers think of my face, and the spring breeze blows on the threshold and the dew is thick. If I hadn't seen you on the top of a jade mountain, I would have met you at Yaotai under the moon."