After this exchange, they remained in silence for a while, as if both were absorbed in their own thoughts.
Eventually, Becoming Quiet took several deep breaths before gently pushing Xiangbei away from his embrace, Cheng Mo then held her shoulders, lowered his head to gaze into her eyes, and spoke to her in a low but firm voice,
"Xiaobei, the current Emperor's eldest son has been titled as Rong Prince of the Northern Frontier. The second son, the second son, is titled as Mo Prince of the East, also known as Lord Mo of Dongbin(East Shore )by the locals due to establishing his fief here, and he has been in this region for two years."
"The Lord Dongbin Mo, eighteen, two years, so now he is twenty years old. That's really young, great! He's about the same age as you. Tomorrow, let's pay him a visit. Wait, let me think about it. What treasures do we have to present, something to make a good impression."
"He's not twenty; he's nineteen. His birthday is on the fourteenth of August, and he just turned twenty in August."
"It's just one day difference, on August fifteenth. I'll make some mooncakes and prepare jars of osmanthus and chrysanthemum wine. How about using those to get closer to him?"
Becoming Quiet sighed deeply, pulling Xiangbei into his embrace, wrapping one arm around her tightly. With the other hand, he lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, and spoke slowly, word by word,
"The Lord Dongbin Mo, known as The Lord Dongbin or Lord Mo. He turned twenty on the fourteenth of August, unmarried. His mother, surnamed Cheng, was the legitimate daughter of the former Southern King of the Baiyue. She was wedded to Cheng after being taken under the protection of Zebai Town and Zebai Mountain Villa, the territories of the former Southern King. Cheng passed away thirteen years ago, and the inheritance passed to the second son, Shangye Chengmo, upon reaching the age of eighteen."
"The Lord Dongbin Mo, Lord Mo, Shangye Chengmo, nineteen years old, Chengmo," Xiangbei mechanically repeated, then gasped suddenly, "You, you, you, you are,"
"Yes, It's me, Xiaobei. I'm Shangye Cheng Mo, Lord Mo. If you want to get close to the Lord Dongbin—"
"Don't say it. Please, don't say it. Cheng Mo, can you take it back? Can I not listen?" Xiangbei knew this guy's background was not simple. She had suspected he was probably a rich second-generation, and Zebai Mountain Villa might belong to his family.
As a modern, independent woman, she had zero interest in getting entangled in palace dramas or sharing toothbrushes with countless other women.
"Lord Mo, could you please let me go?" Xiangbei struggled to free herself from ChengMo's grasp and stood up. She had made up her mind. "Lord Mo, regardless of how many secrets you have, I still trust you just the same, everyone has right to keep their own secrets."
"Thank you, Xiaobei, this life—"
Cheng Mo joyfully jumped up, but his words were cut off as Xiangbei raised her hand to stop him.
"I believe you are worthy of my trust. Please don't talk about the story of the Lord Dongbin again.
I don't want to hear it or know about it. In the days to come, we will undoubtedly be the best business partners and even become the closest comrades in arms.
So, regarding each other's personal experiences or emotional ties, let's keep some privacy. That only needs to be shared openly with our one true love.
As for that coal mountain, if you agree to develop it, let's continue working on it together.
With the emergence of refined coal and steam engines, I'm confident that we can lead the Yunmeng Dynasty far beyond the prosperity of the early Tang era, ushering this world into a brand new era."
When Xiangbei no longer saw this young man as someone to tenderly cling to, the business elite aura within her was unleashed.
"Xiaobei, the way you're talking sounds so unfamiliar. I won't mention theLord Dongbin's matters again. Don't scare me.
What do you mean 'leading the Yunmeng Dynasty'? You're a Yunmeng person too; it's about us, our well-being.
I don't want to lead any world. I just want you, want our Fuhai Building, our local inn, our collaboration with Brother Ziqiu. Can't we be the biggest bosses in all of Yunmeng?"
Cheng Mo felt incredibly disoriented. He couldn't comprehend what Xiangbei was saying; he only knew that she had changed in an instant.
With the words 'I and you,' she had severed their connection, and those two words shattered him completely.
Only he knew himself that for thirteen years, there had only been one 'you.' There was never an 'us.'
He lived in solitude, guarding the title of the youngest king in the dynasty, aloofly protecting the dowry from his Queen mother. Even though he had officially taken over for almost two years, those loyal subjects still addressed him as the young master, refusing to acknowledge him as their true lord.
Only she mattered, only her, In just over half a month, all the plans were centered around 'our future,' 'our development,' 'our new products,' and 'our local inn,' especially the name of business in the Same City, that logo with the same pronunciations as their surnames Tong and Cheng.