He was taken as a foster son by the powerful Fenhua Jiedushi, which many people thought would be impossible. This meant the start of his rapid rise to power, so Lin had not even considered that Zhou Xuan might refuse. He stroked his beard and waited quietly for Zhou Xuan to kneel down in excitement, addressing him as "foster father".

  But things didn't go as Lin had expected. Zhou Xuan's smile froze on his face, and he knelt down motionlessly behind the table.

  The atmosphere in the tea house was momentarily extremely awkward.

  "Father, Zhou Gongzi and Hei Shan's nephew are sworn brothers. If you take Zhou Gongzi as your son, won't that confuse the generations?"

  Lin Han Yun had been too afraid to speak, but now that her sister had spoken up, she also chimed in: "Exactly, from now on should Hei Shan call Zhou Xuan 'Younger Brother Xuan' or 'Uncle Xuan'?"

  Lin also thought Zhou Xuan was worried about this and hadn't immediately agreed, so he laughed freely: "What's the big deal? You can still call each other brothers with Hei Shan, it's fine."

  Zhou Xuan's specialty was being able to respond with ease in awkward situations, smiling as he said: "General Du Hu, I have a story to tell."

  "Oh?" Lin's face turned unnatural, and he patiently said: "Please speak, Master Zhou."

  Zhou Xuan bowed his hands and said, "I told you last time, I am not a Tang Dynasty person. I came from the distant Australia in the South China Sea, tens of thousands of miles away."

  Lin Han said, "Yes, Father, Zhou Xuan is so pitiful. He has no relatives or friends left."

  "Shut up!" Lin Du Hu sternly scolded his daughter, then immediately realized that his tone was too harsh. He forced a smile and said to Zhou Xuan: "Young Master Zhou, please continue speaking."

  Zhou Xuan let out a sigh and said, "As for my biological parents, it's not worth mentioning. Just thinking about them is heartbreaking. Let's just talk about my adoptive father, whose surname was Xie and given name was Xu. My adoptive father had a head of golden hair and his martial arts skills were unparalleled, earning him the nickname 'Golden Lion King'. He doted on me greatly, and when disaster struck, he sacrificed himself to save me from the enemy's pursuit that lasted for thousands of miles. We finally escaped to the seaside, where we could have boarded a ship to safety, but my adoptive father was mortally wounded and passed away..."

  "Whenever I think of my foster father, my heart is like a knife twisting in my chest, and I almost want to follow him into the ground!"

  Lin is a clever person, knowing that Zhou Xuan does not want to acknowledge him as his godfather. As for the story of "Golden Lion King", whether it's true or false, there's no need to investigate further. Anyway, he can use this opportunity to step down, and immediately said in a low voice: "Lin Mou didn't know that Young Master Zhou had such a sad past, Lin Mou was presumptuous, the matter of godfather and godson will not be mentioned again."

  To avoid becoming someone else's adopted son, Zhou Xuan brought out "Golden Lion King" Xie Xun, and said: "Being able to pay respects at the feet of Lord Duhu is actually a blessing for me, but I am a person who values relationships deeply. My adoptive father Xie Xun died for me, so I will not recognize anyone else as my adoptive father again. If Lord Duhu does not reject me, I am willing to show filial piety like a son or nephew and address you as Uncle."

  Lin thought to himself, "Uncle is still uncle. This Zhou Xuan is now close to Lord Li, and Lin cannot afford to offend him." Zhan Yan smiled and said, "With a nephew like this, Lin is fortunate indeed - Han Yun, quickly pay your respects to your elder brother."

  Lin Du Hu wanted to use the brotherly and sisterly courtesy to restrict the relationship between Zhou Xuan and Lin Han Yun within a certain range. So he hurriedly let Lin Han Yun call him brother.

  Lin Han Yun was unhappy, originally thought that Zhou Xuan didn't recognize his father so it's fine, but he recognized some uncle, the generation is still upgraded by two levels, and the nephew became a brother. For Lin Er, who was good at being older, this was simply unbearable, shouting: "Zhou Xuan and Hei Shan are of the same generation, he should call me Auntie, Little Auntie!"

  Lin said: "Yun'er, you mustn't be rude to your elder brother, quickly pay your respects."

  Zhou Xuan saw Lin's anxious appearance and found it very amusing. He thought to himself, "I'm not some foolish husband who can be tied down just because Lin Han calls me 'brother'. Let him call me whatever he wants, I'll still do what I need to do."

  Lin Han Yun Lai refused to get up from the couch.

  Zhou Xuan stood up, first bowed to Lin until he reached the ground, and called out: "Uncle Lin."

  Lin Huanxiao smiled and bowed: "Xuan nephew needn't be polite."

  Zhou Xuan also bowed deeply to Jingyi Xianzi standing beside him and said: "Younger brother Zhou Xuan greets Dao Yun sister."

  Jingyi Xianzi's slender body trembled imperceptibly, and she bowed her head to say: "Zhou Gongzi, I am already a person outside the mundane world, so please do not address me with worldly titles."

  Lin Sheng feared that Zhou Xuan would be discouraged in front of his eldest daughter and no longer call Lin Huanyu "sister", so he hastily said: "Dao Yu, Zhou Xuan is now also considered a member of the Lin family, a close relative. Doesn't Huanyu usually call you sister too?"

  Jing Yi Xianzi couldn't help it and softly called out: "Xuan Di, hello."

  Zhou Xuan finally came before Lin Hanyu, who glared at him with angry eyes, her gaze warning him to "shut up".

  Zhou Xuan smiled and bowed, saying: "Hanyun sister, your foolish brother pays his respects."

  Lin Han's small face turned white, and Zhou Xuan's "foolish brother" made her whole body covered in goosebumps. Ah, it was too disgusting!

  Lin urged: "Yun'er, quickly return the courtesy to Xuan Ge."

  Lin Han Yun suddenly stood up and stared at Zhou Xuan, saying: "I'll call you brother only if you let Lin Hei Shan call you Uncle Grandpa!"

  Lin Han Yun quickly ran out of the teahouse, and the sound of wooden clogs grew fainter and fainter.

  Lin was both angry and embarrassed, and he blurted out to his eldest daughter: "Dao Yun, as your father is usually busy with military affairs, all household matters are handled by you. Can't you see that Huan Yun's behavior is so willful and rude because you've spoiled her?"

  Jingyi Xianzi was scolded by her father in front of Zhou Xuan, feeling ashamed and humiliated, she knelt down to apologize, and a stifled sobbing sound came from under her veil.

  Zhou Xuan hastily said, "Uncle Lin, how can you blame Daoyu sister? Moreover, what Han Yun said is also correct. Han Yun's innocence and straightforwardness are exactly what I and Yonggu brother admire."

  Zhou Xuan was worried that Lin Hanyu would be punished and beaten, so he pushed Li Yonggu out to resist.

  Lin Yi listened and indeed lost his temper. He shook his head and said, "Xuan is now a member of our own family. If not, others would laugh at me, saying that I, Lin, don't know how to discipline my daughter."

  After sipping tea and chatting for a while, Zhou bid farewell. Seeing Jingyi Xianzi's melancholic expression, he said: "Sister Dao Yun, I'd like to learn about the Way of Tea from you. Is that possible?"

  Lin Xiao said, "Xuan nephew is really diligent in learning, zither chess calligraphy painting, poetry song fu, insect fighting swordsmanship, there's nothing Xuan nephew can't do - Dao Yun, you can also take the opportunity to ask your Xuan brother for guidance on poetry and songs."

  Jing Yi Xianzi faintly replied: "Yes".

  Zhou Xuan returned to the Qin manor at exactly 10 o'clock, and his two young wives came out together to greet him.

  "Hubby, have you had too much to drink?" Qin Xiao smelled the wine on Zhou Xuan's breath and asked reproachfully.

  Zhou Xuan said: "Having had just a few cups, Lord Li is returning to the capital, so we should see him off with some ceremony."

  Zhou Xuan also mentioned that he had acknowledged Lin as his uncle

  It's a relief for Qin Que and Zhen to have their sisters' matters settled, as they had already performed the rituals and still followed their husbands everywhere, which would lead to gossip.

  After washing up, they each returned to their rooms. Zhou Xuan drank some Lushan Yunwu tea, which was quite refreshing. These two days he had rested well and really couldn't sleep, thinking that since coming to Jiangzhou, he hadn't enjoyed the nightlife yet, didn't know what the song and dance halls were like here, one day he must go experience it for himself. In Southern Tang, this should be a reasonable and legitimate thing. Friends gathering, seeing off guests all relied on the courtesans of the green buildings, this was called the romantic spirit of famous scholars.

  Zhou Xuan thought wildly for a while and couldn't sleep, so she took a candle alone to the small study, where she set up a dead-alive chessboard on the fir wood table.

  The autumn night was quiet, the jade stone chess pieces knocked on the chess board with a crisp and clear sound. Zhou Xuan liked to listen to this kind of sound very much, it was so poetic, unfortunately there was no one else around, otherwise he would have recited a poem.

  —

  "Husband, aren't you sleeping yet?"

  Soft footsteps sounded, a red lantern, two little wives came in, and indeed they were going to enter the bridal chamber together. They advanced and retreated together, everything was done by the two of them together.

  Zhou Xuan smiled and said: "The sparrow has arrived just in time, come and keep me company for the next game of chess."

  Qin Que put down the red lantern and smiled: "Which one of you is a match for your husband? You can only be bullied by him."

  This sentence is a bit ambiguous, Zhou Xuan's association ability is strong, and those narrow eyes immediately lit up, staring at Qin Que with a bit of fervor.

  Two people started playing chess, this time letting Sanzi go first. According to Qinque's chess skills, Sanzi should have been able to make a move, but for some reason, Qinque had no fighting spirit in front of Zhouxuan and would often retreat as soon as Zhouxuan attacked, falling behind by more than 100 moves.

  "I won't go down, I will only obey my husband."

  Qin Que smiled and messed up the chess pieces on the board.

  Suzhen suddenly said timidly: "Husband, I also want to learn Go, can you teach me?"

  Zhen saw Zhou Xuan and Qin Que sitting opposite each other playing chess, but he couldn't understand anything, feeling a little sour in his heart.

  "Alright, I'll teach you. Let's see how long it takes for you to reach Yumi's level? And Yumi, you come too, I'll teach you even more powerful formations. In our country of Australia, Go is played without a fixed position, so the variations in the opening are greater and more complex."

  Qin Que hastily responded enthusiastically. Although she couldn't muster the heart to win when playing chess with her husband, she definitely couldn't lose to Zhen Jie in learning chess.

  Outside the window, a drizzle of autumn rain fell, and in the book, one man and two women played Go. The "ding" sound of hitting the pieces and the soft laughter of the girl seemed to be in harmony with the realm. Zhou Xuan also had this feeling, so after explaining several layout formulas, he told his two little wives a story called "Little Xie and Autumn Rong", saying it was written by him.

  Qin Que and Zhen were deeply moved by what they heard. The two women made a pact with each other, vowing not to be jealous of one another and to serve their husband well together.

  Zhou Xuan's great joy.

  *******************

  On August 12th, the chess battle between Jiang, Shu and Yu states began. Xu, the governor of Xuzhou, had sent Qi to receive Zhou Xuan at the Xu residence early in the morning, and the "Worry-Free Hall" was already filled with chess players.

  Fan the judge, Shu state long history, Qi state long history are all present. Seeing Zhou Xuan arrive, Fan the judge hastily welcomes him and says: "Zhou Gongzi, the mansion in Zhuque Lane has been renovated, all the furniture, servants, and maids are ready, you can move in at any time. Also, the protector general has ordered that all expenses for the Zhou family in Zhuque Lane will be borne by the protectorate, when will you move?"

  Zhou Xuan thought to himself, "Uncle Lin is really good to me, not only did he give me a big house, but also covered all my expenses, it seems that even a son-in-law wouldn't be treated this well, haha." He said, "Then please ask Mr. Fan to help me choose an auspicious day."

  The official Fan said: "I have checked the almanac, and August 15th, Mid-Autumn Festival is a suitable day for moving and starting construction, and it also has auspicious signs of adding children and increasing wealth."

  Zhou Xuan said: "Alright, then let's move to the new house three days later. These few days must be tiring for Master Fan. At that time, I will definitely treat Master Fan to a few cups of wine."

  Fan Judge Xi said: "Zhou Gongzi is polite, Zhou Gongzi just focus on playing chess, these things are all handled by the lower officials."

  Zhou Xuan thanked Judge Fan and went up to the "Worry-Free Hall" on the third floor, only to see a group of chess players quarreling and shouting about "despicable tricks" and "scheming plots".

  A man with a thick eyebrow and a bitter melon face shouted the loudest: "Who is Zhou Xuan? We've never heard of him, which one is Zhou Xuan, step forward."

  "What's going on, someone else wants to pick a fight?" He walked over and "brushed" open the folding fan in his hand, shaking it twice. Then he said: "I am Zhou Xuan, who is looking for me?"

  More than a dozen chess players present looked at Zhou Xuan together, the man with eight-character eyebrows and a bitter melon face sized up Zhou Xuan from head to toe and cupped his hands in greeting: "I am Shang Zuanyuan, nice to meet you, Master Zhou."

  So this is Shang Zhiyuan, the seventeenth of the eighteen chess players. Judging from his appearance, he doesn't look like a chess player at all, but rather a small peddler who can't do business well. Truly, one cannot judge a person by their looks.

  Zhou Xuan returned the courtesy and said: "So it's Grandmaster Shang. I've long admired you, but I don't know what instructions Grandmaster Shang has to offer?"

  "Master Zhou, I have something unclear and would like to ask for your guidance. According to the chess competition rules, the top player from each province is ranked in Class A, the next best in Class B, and the third best in Class C. Then, players of the same class compete against each other, which avoids the problem of strong players competing against weak ones. Jiangzhou's top player should be Mr. Gu Liuquan, but why is he ranked in Class B while you are in Class A?"

  Zhou Xuan smiled and asked: "Master Qi Shi is definitely a top-notch player, are you afraid that this young junior will surpass you, an old senior?"

  Shang Zhuan Yuan readily agreed, saying: "Exactly."

  Gu Liuquan and Fu Yannian arrived at this time, Gu Liuquan stepped forward and said: "Mr. Shang, this young master Zhou's chess skills are indeed above mine, I am not exaggerating."

  Shang Zhiyuan sneered, "Mr. Gu has gone to great lengths to help Jiangzhou win this game of chess, and yet he doesn't mind lowering his own status, stooping to the level of a nobody like me. His dedication is truly admirable."

  Zhou Xuan saw that Shang Chuan Yuan had a "lower-ranking" person on his left and an "unknown" person on his right, both of whom looked down on him with disdain. He couldn't help but feel angry in his heart and thought about how to deal a heavy blow to Shang Chuan Yuan. However, Shang Chuan Yuan was not like Feng Yu, whose ranking was above Gu Liu Quan's, and he must have had extraordinary skills in chess.