In the flower hall of Zhao's mansion.

Zhou Jijiu slightly bent his body and looked up at Zhao Hao. His face was full of flattery, but he could not hide his fear.

If anyone else saw this scene, they would definitely rub their eyes. How could the chief priest of Nanjing Imperial College be so humble to his student?

The opposite is normal!

In fact, Zhou Jijiu was not so afraid of Zhao Hao at first. Even if the young master came to apologize to Zhao Hao, he was not too scared. What really frightened him were two pieces of news from Beijing. One was that Zhao Jinrong was promoted to the junior nine ministers, and the other was that Xu Ge Lao's capable subordinate Wu Shilai actually supported the Zhao family and impeached the Duke of Wei.

This shows that this kid surnamed Zhao is already very powerful, and the previous threats may have been just intimidation.

But now, Zhou Jijiu knew that he could really kill himself!

Besides fear, there was more regret! How could I be so blind? It could have been a story of a happy Shilin where everyone was happy and never gave up, but now it has turned out like this...

He had to try to make amends before the news of the broken engagement spread. Otherwise, when Zhao Shouzheng got engaged to another family again, he would become a laughing stock in the literati circle...

"Please speak." Zhao Hao couldn't stand Zhou Jijiu's humble appearance. His fantasy of being a clean person was completely shattered by this man.

Then he turned around, picked up the teacup, and looked at the stone and bamboo sculpture outside the window. A craftsman was using a fine brush to outline the outline of the words on the Taihu stone.

'Hold fast to the green mountains, and never let go. The roots are in the broken rocks...'

Seeing the poem written on it, Zhao Hao almost spit out his tea out of the window! What is this uncle up to?

Before he could ask the craftsman, Zhou Jijiu next to him finally mustered up the courage and spoke.

"Fate played tricks on us last time, causing great harm to both families..."

Zhao Hao glanced at Zhou Jijiu when he heard this. He didn't expect that Zhou Jijiu had the nerve to bring this up.

Then Zhou Jijiu said to himself: "It was really me who was bewitched by others. I made a mistake because of a single thought. Fortunately, only my two families knew about this matter and it was not spread out. If we can restore the friendship between Qin and Jin at this time, outsiders will have no way of knowing about this bad thing. There is no greater good than this, and there are only a hundred benefits and no harm."

"Haha..." Zhao Hao laughed in disbelief: "You really have the nerve to say that."

"Listen to what I have to say." Zhou Jijiu waved his hands and said with a determined look: "No matter how wrong it is, it is all the fault of my Zhou family. So of course I have to compensate the Zhao family. The one who was engaged to your father before was my third illegitimate daughter. If we can re-engage this time, I will betroth the only legitimate daughter born to my wife to your father, and let the three daughters be concubines. How about marrying your father together?"

"Is this possible?" Zhao Hao was stunned. He couldn't imagine how Zhou Jijiu came up with this idea.

"This is an ancient ritual and it's not uncommon, right?" Zhou Jijiu spread his hands, also not understanding why Zhao Hao was so surprised.

In the marriages of scholars and officials, it was not uncommon for sisters to marry each other and for one wife to marry one man...

"Okay..." Zhao Hao waved his hands, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, indicating that he couldn't make a decision. "But how can a son make decisions for his father? You should talk to my dad..."

"Of course I have to ask you first. I can only ask you if you have no objection." Zhou Jijiu said in a very sensible manner: "Of course, it would be better if you can convey it on my behalf."

"I don't object, nor will I help. You decide for yourself." Zhao Hao rolled his eyes, thinking, isn't it enough for me to find myself one stepmother? I have to find two? How cheap must I be?

"That's good as long as you don't object." Zhou Jijiu also breathed a sigh of relief.

~~

Zhao Hao left the hall and asked his father and uncle to come back to deal with the man named Zhou.

He stayed outside, with his hands behind his back, watching the craftsman writing.

"What is this for?"

"My lord." The craftsman quickly put down his work and bowed to him, saying, "The master ordered that your masterpiece be engraved in various places in the house. He said that this poem best represents the integrity of the Zhao family, so it should be placed in the place where guests are received."

"The integrity of the Zhao family... How come I didn't know that there is such a thing?" Zhao Hao couldn't help but secretly complained: "If there is, it must be the integrity of a gigolo, right?"

He thought it would be more appropriate to engrave "soft rice is so soft"...

He was talking intermittently outside, and paying attention to the movements in the flower hall...

At this time, Zhou Jijiu had already repeated the proposal to Zhao Shouzheng and his brothers.

Zhao Shouye's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he thought, is there such a good thing for both sisters to gain?

He whispered to his brother, "The position of Zhou Jijiu might be taken up soon. He is so humble, it is not easy to find such a father-in-law..."

Zhao Shouzheng nodded in agreement.

Zhou Jijiu was overjoyed when he saw this, and asked hurriedly, "Does my dear son-in-law agree?"

"No." Zhao Shouzheng shook his head decisively and said, "I will not marry your daughter."

"Ah?" Zhou Jijiu and Zhao Shouye were both surprised.

"Ah?!" Zhao Hao outside was also surprised. His father didn't agree to such a good deal of buy one get one free?

It seems that he goes to Qinhuai River quite frequently?

"Why do you say that, dear son-in-law?" Zhou Jijiu asked hurriedly, "I promised both of my daughters to you. Where else in the world can you find such a good thing?"

"But I dare not marry!" Zhao Shouzheng said in a rare serious tone:

"When my family was in trouble, you repeatedly pestered me to cancel the engagement. Now that my Zhao family is prosperous again, you want to marry your daughter to me again. If my family is in trouble again in the future, Lord Zhou will definitely take the two daughters back."

"How could that be? Once a daughter is married off, she is like spilled water." Zhou Jijiu said with a red face, "I still understand the principle that spilled water cannot be collected."

"It's good that the Grand Master understands." Zhao Shouzheng picked up the teacup, poured the tea on the ground and said, "Since the water that has been poured out cannot be taken back, the broken relationship cannot be continued!"

"You, you should ask your father first." Zhou Jijiu felt so ashamed that he didn't know how he could say such a thing.

"It was difficult to disobey my father's orders before, but before we left, my father promised me to make my own decision." Zhao Shouzheng replied, "Of course I can do what I want."

He stood up and said, "Da Sicheng, please go back."

"Alas, you are really..." Zhou Jijiu was so angry that he wanted to say something unpleasant to vent his anger, but he caught a glimpse of Zhao Hao looking at him with a half-smile outside the window. He quickly swallowed his words and left in disgrace.

Zhao Shouye and Zhao Shouzheng only sent him out of the second gate and then stopped.

~~

Outside the Zhao Mansion, Mr. Liu waited in the sedan chair, but Zhou Jijiu did not come out for a long time.

He felt depressed and irritated, so he had to get out of the sedan chair to take a breath. He stuck his head inside the door to see why Zhou hadn't come out yet.

Who knew that just as he got off the sedan chair, he heard an abominable voice, shouting in a panic:

"Hey, isn't this President Liu? Why don't you go in?"

Then Tang Youde got off the carriage with a mocking look on his face.

"You...I..." The two people that Mr. Liu least wanted to see right now were Fatty Tang. But he had just been caught looking around, so he was speechless and in a dilemma.

ps. The eighth update, 400 monthly tickets plus more updates are here, please give me the monthly tickets and recommendation tickets…………