Jiang Changyang stepped into the He's house for the first time. The He's home was just like he had imagined, and it felt just like many other homes he had visited before that he liked - as soon as you stepped through the door, you could feel the warm and cozy atmosphere of family life.

  The courtyard, swept clean and tidy, was still full of life on this Mid-Autumn Festival. The flowers and trees were thriving, the pillars of the corridor shone with a subtle luster from being touched by children's hands, and some old furniture stood quietly in place. The honest and joyful smiles on the faces of the servants made everything feel warm and cozy. This was completely unlike the mansions of some high-ranking officials he had visited recently, where the courtyards were dozens or even hundreds of times larger, filled with luxurious decorations and rare flowers and trees, yet only gave people a cold and hard impression.

  Relaxed, pleasant, warm, and carefree, this was more in line with what he imagined life should be like. Jiang Changyang really liked this feeling.

  He Zhizhong quietly observed Jiang Changyang from the side, and saw happiness and joy in the young man's eyes. Although he didn't know why Jiang Changyang was happy, seeing such emotions in a guest's eyes was a good sign. It meant that the conversation with the guest would go well afterwards.

  After entering the central hall, they sat down as host and guest, and after some small talk, Jiang Changyang said seriously: "I heard that Uncle Shi had visited my humble abode twice, I wonder what it was for?"

  It's indeed because he had visited him twice before that he wasn't a proud person and knew his manners. Hei Zhitong stroked his beard with a smile: "I'm really sorry to have made Mr. Jiang run this errand, but I just wanted to come and thank you in person for helping my family out of a big trouble. The last time's favor hasn't had the chance to be repaid yet, and now we're even more indebted, it's really embarrassing. Dan Niang is my treasure, more precious than my own eyeballs. I've been thinking left and right, not knowing how to repay you, please tell me what to do, as long as I can do it, I definitely won't decline."

  Jiang Changyang smiled slightly: "Uncle, no need to be polite, just call me Little Nephew Chengfeng." He paused and said in a low voice: "I'm not asking for repayment. I've already told your daughter the reason, it's just that my heart feels at ease. Uncle, you're a businessman, you've seen more people and worldly affairs than I have, and you also have a reputation for being chivalrous in the capital. Over the years, there must be many people who owe you favors, are they all seeking repayment?"

  He Zhizhong's eyes rolled around and he smiled, saying: "To be honest, there are some people I really am trying to get something in return from." As he spoke, he sized up Jiang Changyang's expression, but saw that Jiang Changyang remained calm and composed, with a listening attitude. He Zhizhong sighed inwardly and continued: "I'm just a businessman, after all. To make my business thrive, aside from having good credit, I also need to have connections. There are some people I deliberately try to befriend and do favors for, because I know that maybe one day I'll ask for their help, or it's to get something in return."

  Jiang Changyang smiled slightly slyly: "I dare not deceive Master Shibo, I would also do such things, it's human nature. But apart from interests, aren't there also sincerity and righteousness? Otherwise, this relationship wouldn't last long either, and at critical moments, you won't be able to find someone who can pay with their true heart."

  He Zhizhong said slowly: "What you said is not wrong, interacting with benefits is inferior, and interacting with true heart and true feelings is superior. Using emotions and using benefits, at critical moments are completely different results. You should know that you can calculate others, and others can also calculate you, planting melons and getting melons, planting beans and getting beans."

  "Accounting?" Jiang Changyang let out a sigh, looked up and stared at He Zhizhong, very seriously and solemnly said: "I don't have many friends, but every one of them says I'm very loyal, worth befriending. So far, in important matters, I've never disappointed my friends." Of course, his friends weren't just anyone either.

  He Zhizhong understood that the conversation had to end there, so he laughed and said: "You're a young man with great promise, Chengfeng! You're very good! Welcome to come to my house often in the future. I don't have any other skills, but I can still drink and play chess!"

  Jiang Changyang's eyes lit up: "Play chess?"

  He Zhizhong smiled and said, "It's barely passable. Otherwise, how can we do business with elegance? I couldn't possibly let them say that the person surnamed He is full of copper stench. Instead, I have to remember that I lost to that person surnamed He last time, and I'm not convinced. I need to find an opportunity to get revenge. This way, back and forth, the copper smell will fade away! Then, without realizing it, his money will run into my purse!"

  The clever old man, Jiang Changyang couldn't help but laugh loudly, his eyes shining brightly as he said: "In the future, young nephew will have to come to uncle for chess lessons."

  To understand a person's character, you need to understand their chess style. Although it may not be possible to see everything clearly, you can at least get a general idea. This is He Zhitong's experience over the years, and he said with sparkling eyes: "Rather than choosing a good day, let's seize the day! If you have time, why not come now?"

  Jiang Changyang hesitated slightly, but also seemed eager to try: "I heard you're very busy."

  He Zhizhong smiled and said: "No matter how busy, there is also time to entertain guests. I just don't know if you are busy or not."

  Jiang Changyang smiled and said, "I'm not busy."

  He Zhitong led him to his study. Jiang Changyang took a look around, but saw that the bookshelves along the wall were filled with old books, not new ones. The ones closest to the desk looked particularly worn out, indicating that they were frequently read by the owner. These books weren't just for decoration; someone was actually reading them.

  He Zhizhong had been quietly observing him, and when he saw him looking at the bookshelf, he smiled and said: "There aren't many books in our house, and most of them are miscellaneous books. Dan Niang has liked to sneak into the bookcase to read since she was a child. Sometimes she didn't tell anyone around her, so everyone had to look for her everywhere, and as a result, she often got scolded by her mother."

  Jiang Changyang smiled slightly and took a closer look at those particularly old books, which were travelogues and legendary stories that suited Peony's personality.

  He Zhizhong had already taken out the chess pieces, which were made of ink jade and sheep fat jade respectively. Jiang Changyang held the chess pieces in his hand, but felt that they were smooth and dense, with a pure color, and couldn't help but love them, looking at them again and again without hiding his fondness: "Uncle He is really lucky. This set of chess pieces must have taken a lot of time to find the right materials for."

  He Zhizhong smiled slightly: "Red powder is given to a beauty, precious sword is given to a hero, this chess also has spirit, since you love chess, then I'll give it to you, how about that?"

  Jiang Changyang fell silent for a moment before responding.

  He Zhizhong looked particularly happy and said, "Let me borrow it for now."

  The two of them had been playing from morning till noon, and no one had left the study even once. Peony had gone to knock on the door several times, but every time she saw the two of them frowning in deep thought, so she just ordered someone to send in tea and pastries, and told the kitchen to prepare food, waiting for the two of them to finish their game before sending it up immediately.

  Peony retreated back to her bed, and Lady Cui smiled and said: "How is it?"

  "Peony shook her head and said, 'They've been playing chess all along and haven't come out. The pastries I sent over haven't been touched. I ordered the kitchen to prepare wontons and they'll be sent up as soon as they finish their game.'"

  Madam Cen said: "Still meeting a worthy opponent?" As she spoke, she looked at Peony: "I didn't expect him to come in person."

  "Peony lowered her head: 'I didn't expect it either. But it's normal.' If she really considered him a friend, and his father came to look for him twice, coming back to ask about him was also normal and should be expected. However, in ancient times, were male and female friends really that easy to make?"

  Madam Cen grasped Peony's hand and said softly, "When do you plan to go live in the villa? Let Yingniang and Rongniang accompany you. This time, let Lin Mama follow along too. She has complained to me several times that whenever you go to the villa, you leave her behind at home. Her body isn't that weak. Even if she can't ride a horse, she can still sit in a donkey cart."

  "Peony smiled and said, 'The time to pick peony buds is almost up, we have to leave tomorrow. This trip will take a while, I wish there were two more people to accompany me, so I won't be bored. Fanny, you're coming with us too.' In fact, she knew that Mrs. Cen was still worried and hoped that when she was with Jiang Changyang, at least some family members would be with her."

  "Remember, on the 26th, your father and brothers will be going on a long trip, first to Guangzhou and then overseas. Who knows when they'll return? You must remember to come back two days in advance and keep them company."

  "Please don't worry, my father and brothers have gone to sea many times, every time they returned safely, this time will be the same, they will come back home on time."

  Madam Cen smiled wryly for a moment, saying: "Bodhisattva bless, that's for sure. Don't worry about me either, every time your father goes out to sea, I always have to worry for a long time, it's become a habit."

  Peony leaned against her side, found some other things to say, and deliberately told a few jokes. Before long, she was laughing out loud with Mrs. Cen. The mother and daughter were having a great time when He Zhizhong walked in, smiling and saying, "What's so funny? You're having such a good time?"

  "Peony hastily got up and said: 'Father, have our guests left?'"

  "He doesn't leave, does he want to stay in my house for dinner? The chess game is over, and the dumplings have been eaten, shouldn't he be leaving?"

  "Ah, I still have something to say to him!" Peony exclaimed, and hastily chased after him.

  He Zhizhong glanced at her back and said to Mrs. Cen in a low voice, "Her chess skills are not bad, stable and calm, never giving up until the last moment. She has perseverance and patience, is an upright person, I can rest assured."

  Madam Cen sighed and said: "What's the use? This is still far from enough."

  He Zhizhong fell silent for a moment before saying, "That's not necessarily true. Let's take a look first."

  Peony ran to the gate, but saw Jiang Changyang about to mount his horse, and hastily shouted: "Jiang Gong, wait a moment."

  Jiang Changyang didn't expect to see Peony again, and upon hearing her voice, he quickly turned his head around, gazing at her with a faint smile, revealing two rows of neat white teeth: "He Niang."

  The peony's gaze met his, slightly uncomfortable, and he looked away, smiling: "I'm going to the villa tomorrow, if you're free, you can come over and pick some peonies."

  Jiang Changyang smiled happily: "Definitely."

  He passed by the peony, and Wu held that expensive chess set, saying inexplicably: "Sir, why do you want to accept such an expensive thing from others? Aren't you afraid of being called greedy?"

  Jiang Changyang said softly, "Do you think Old Master He really only has this chess set? He's clearly bringing it out on purpose to give to me. If I accept it, both he and Madame He will feel more at ease in their hearts, and our interactions will be more straightforward. So what's the harm in accepting it? A person like him wouldn't think I'm greedy for wealth."

  The fox's tail is exposed.

  Regarding the Explanation of Zhū Guó Gōng's Two Wives and the Eldest Son

  This phenomenon is by no means universal, but there are indeed true examples, and they are not isolated cases.

  Originally a monogamous system, according to the Tang Code, if one has a wife and marries another wife, they will be sentenced to one year of penal servitude. If the woman is aware of it, she will also be punished together. If one has a wife but claims not to have one and deceives others into marrying them, they will be sentenced to one and a half years of penal servitude; the woman's family will not be guilty, but they must separate.

  However, there was also a phenomenon of having two wives and treating them equally, which was basically inseparable from the emperor. For example, Wang Maozhong, a Goguryeo person, originally had a wife, but Emperor Xuanzong also gave him another wife, Li Shi, who was also given the title of "Guo Furen" (National Lady). Whenever they entered the palace to pay respects, both wives would receive gifts together. Another example is that Emperor Taizong once considered marrying his daughter to Wei Zhengde, but was rejected by Wei Zhengde. An Lushan also had two wives, Kang Shi and Duan Shi, who were both given the title of "Guo Furen".