Zhao Hanzhang stood up and brought over a chessboard, directly grabbing a handful of white pieces and spreading them on the board, saying, "Moreover, this is not just a matter of rewards and honors. We are all prepared. After the New Year, life will begin anew everywhere, with countless opportunities emerging. Let’s not mention distant ones, just one: grain seeds!"

"Do you know how high the profits of grain seeds are? So how do we choose the grain merchants? Where there are profits, there will be competition. They will approach various officials in earnest. I will try to be fair, but my fairness is based on the information I can obtain." Zhao Hanzhang said, "And I want to obtain more, more real information, and besides my own intelligence network, I also need external advice."

"To hear different voices, there need to be different interest groups," Zhao Hanzhang began placing black pieces on the board, "This is the different voice."

Fu Tinghan looked at the chessboard and asked, "Are you on the side of the white pieces or the black pieces?"

Zhao Hanzhang pinched a chess piece with a smile and said, "Why should I be a piece? I am the one who holds the pieces."

Fu Tinghan lowered his eyes to look at the white pieces still occupying most of the board. Suddenly inspired, he looked up and asked her, "Are many of these white pieces Zhao Family members?"

Zhao Hanzhang raised an eyebrow and smiled at him, silently confirming.

Fu Tinghan understood and recalled something he had heard, asking, "So, is the Zhao Family the imperial in-law, or is it the Fu Family?"

Zhao Hanzhang: "That depends on the specific situation. I will choose whichever is more advantageous."

She paused and asked Fu Tinghan, "You don’t mind, do you?"

Fu Tinghan didn’t mind. After all, his interests aligned with Zhao Hanzhang’s. He didn’t care about naming rights; they were all his children, weren’t they?

However, hearing Zhao Hanzhang’s tone, he speculated, "You seem more inclined towards the Zhao Family. I thought that after the establishment of the country, the Zhao Family’s strength might become a hindrance for you."

"It depends on how they are used. Conflicts are relative; with disadvantages come advantages. If the Zhao Family is an imperial relative, their interests would diverge greatly from the Imperial Family, leading to more conflicts. But if they are members of the royal family, wouldn’t their interests largely align with the Imperial Family?"

Fu Tinghan suddenly understood.

Zhao Hanzhang glanced at the time and said to him, "I know you’re nervous. If you don’t want to deal with them, you can stay the night. Send Fu An back to deliver the message, saying that due to state affairs, you can’t return yet."

Secular rules must be followed, but she had the resources to allow him some freedom, so he needn’t be too hard on himself.

Fu Tinghan thought for a moment and shook his head, "Forget it. I’ll still go back. They’ve just arrived in Luoyang, and there’s a lot to do. Our wedding is only days away, and I need to discuss some things with them."

This wedding was different from a traditional one. He needed to talk to them in advance so they could be mentally prepared and avoid unnecessary conflicts with the Zhao Family and Zhao Hanzhang.

Though Fu Tinghan was a bit nervous, since they were two unfamiliar individuals, his understanding of them came solely from hazy memories.\n

It was like watching two people through a TV with a flickering screen. The scenes were fragmented, and then one day, the people on TV appeared before him, claiming they were his parents.

Now, he had to discuss matters with them concerning his lifelong affairs.

Having lost his parents early and only having experience with his grandfather, Fu Tinghan couldn’t help but clench his fists, his palms slightly sweaty.

He stood up and said, "I’m going back."

Seeing his nervousness, Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help but laugh and reassured him, "Didn’t I just say? Princess Hongnong is not an ordinary woman; you don’t need to treat her like a common person. You can discuss matters of state with her; she certainly won’t mind."

She smiled and said, "If you’re scared, I can talk to them."

Fu Tinghan shook his head, "No, if you step in, it changes the nature of the situation."

Zhao Hanzhang stepping in would be quite threatening. He didn’t want her to create more resentment and adversaries. Since it was his family’s matter, he should handle it.

Fu Tinghan took a deep breath, skipped his meal, and left with Fu An.

Princess Hongnong and the others were already eating. Seeing Fu Tinghan returning in a rush with Fu An, Princess Hongnong’s expression improved slightly, looking at Ren Hui beside her.

Ren Hui immediately went to serve rice for Fu Tinghan.

Fu Tinghan had a stomach full of things to say. He had walked back from the Zhao Mansion to the Fu Mansion and thought through his words on the way, even silently rehearsing twice at the back gate.

But facing Princess Hongnong’s indifferent expression, he couldn’t utter a word.

Seeing him standing there foolishly, Princess Hongnong frowned, "Are you going to sit down and eat or not?"

Fu Xuan also said, "Sit down."

Fu Tinghan silently saluted them both and sat down to eat quietly.

No words were spoken during the meal as Princess Hongnong adhered strictly to the custom of silence at the table.

Fu Xuan was even more thorough. After finishing his meal, he put down his bowl and was about to return to his room. Princess Hongnong, with a cold face, said, "Wait a moment."

She lifted her eyelids, "Your son is getting married, such an important matter, aren’t you going to inquire about it?"

Fu Xuan: "Didn’t I already ask? Ting Han said everything was ready. Since that’s the case, we just need to be proper in-laws. What else is needed?"

"Doing and asking are two different things. This mansion is in such disrepair. Are you blind or heartless? Does this look like a place for your son’s wedding? Can’t you put some effort into it? He says nothing is needed, and you provide nothing?"

Fu Xuan calmly and warmly replied, "I’d like to provide, but do I have anything now?"

Princess Hongnong was furious, "If you don’t have anything, won’t you try to find a way? This is your son’s lifelong event, and you want to deal with it casually?"

Fu Tinghan was stunned, utterly forgetting what he wanted to say.

Fu Xuan, however, was used to it and remained composed and gentle, "What’s the use of trying?"

Fu Tinghan wasn’t adept with worldly matters, but he wasn’t foolish. Seeing Princess Hongnong’s increasingly sour expression, he hurriedly interrupted, "Princess... Mother, Father, I have something to say to you."

Princess Hongnong’s gaze sharply turned to him, "In just five years, have you forgotten how to use honorifics?"

Ren Hui stepped forward and quietly reminded him, "Young master should say, ’I have something to report.’

Fu Tinghan: ...

He quietly said, "I have something to report."

Princess Hongnong then moved to the main seat and gestured for him to speak.

Fu Tinghan exhaled a sigh of relief, finally able to get to the matter at hand. He said, "This wedding is different from usual. It doesn’t follow old customs. The wedding chamber is set in the General’s Mansion..."

Princess Hongnong frowned, "General’s Mansion?"

"Yes," Fu Tinghan said, "It’s originally one of Prince East Sea’s residences, just beside the Imperial City."