The cousin's family is extremely wealthy; she deserves to be a concubine.

Lord He didn't mind others mentioning his past failure. He smiled slightly and glanced at He Zhizhang, "Why did I fail so badly back then?"

He Zhizhang nodded.

Lord He recalled, "The events of that year were very complicated. I was about to succeed, but your grandfather betrayed me at the crucial moment."

He Zhizhang exclaimed in surprise: "Because of my grandfather?"

After a long pause, he asked, "Why is that?"

Lord He did not answer, but gave He Zhizhang a meaningful look.

He Zhizhang suddenly realized how similar this was to what his father had said earlier that day.

Could it be...

He murmured, "So that's how it is."

In the past, it was my grandfather and father.

Today, it is the father and him.

Lord He patted He Zhizhang on the shoulder, "You're not bad!"

His expression revealed a satisfaction that He Zhizhang had never seen before.

This was probably the first time He Zhizhang had felt genuine affirmation from his father, Lord He.

In a moment of impulsiveness, he revealed all the inside stories of how he had previously persuaded his mother to arrange a marriage for Hua Sirong.

Lord He asked in bewilderment, "If Zhuzhu is so wary of Rongjie, why don't you just go all the way and finish the job?"

He made a throat-slitting gesture, after all, why should such a hidden danger be left for his own family?

He Zhizhang, however, voiced his concerns: "It is precisely because Zhuzhu is so wary that I value my cousin Rong even more."

Under Lord He's puzzled gaze, He Zhizhang explained, "According to Zhuzhu, when our family was in trouble in our previous life, only Cousin Rong was willing to lend a helping hand."

"I'm not thinking about remembering my cousin Rong's kindness or repaying her kindness or anything like that."

But I was thinking, if Cousin Rong is alright, wouldn't that be a way out for our family?

"After all, our Marquis's family has many relatives and friends by marriage, but when we really encounter difficulties, there is only one cousin who once lived in our house who helps us."

"From Zhuzhu's words, we know that although Cousin Rong comes from a merchant family, she has the qualities of a merchant who keeps his promises."

She is grateful and repays kindness.

Father, we dare not say that what we are doing will definitely succeed.

What if?

"By protecting my cousin Rong today, I may be adding another layer of security to the future of our Marquis's mansion."

"Furthermore, I have another plan."

I'm really worried about Zhuzhu's personality, and I don't know if she can hold onto that position.

If one day Zhuzhu really needs outside help, I think Cousin Rong would be a good choice.

Lord He was quite satisfied with He Zhizhang's previous plans.

But what does it mean to be Zhuzhu's helper in the end?

Lord He looked puzzled and asked the question.

He Zhizhang explained, "Since Zhuzhu said so, that person didn't mind that Cousin Rong's second marriage in her previous life."

So, this time, if we follow the established steps and act as a facilitator again, getting Cousin Rong back into that person's sights shouldn't be too difficult.

Lord He frowned slightly, pondering for a long time. "If that's the case, why don't we keep Rong'er in the manor for a few more years? After all, didn't she say before that she wanted to observe mourning for her father?"

Once the mourning period is over, we can use the matter of choosing a husband for her to delay the process and preserve her chastity.

I think a woman with a clean background is always more sincere and more likely to be favored than a woman who has remarried.

"And then we can use the excuse that Rongjie is too old and unmarried to enter the palace to help Zhuzhu, which will give us a better reason to do so."

He Zhizhang knew He Houye's plan, but he showed his disapproval. "Zhuzhu seemed to have said that the person in question had some similar hobbies to the current emperor."

Lord He asked with a questioning look, "What are your hobbies?"

He Zhizhang then mentioned one person, "The Fairy Consort."

Lord He's expression instantly understood, and a slightly ambiguous smile unconsciously appeared on his lips. "You've considered everything thoroughly. In that case, I won't interfere."

"However, just to be on the safe side, I think we should secretly search for some more girls who resemble Rong'er and raise them in case of emergency."

Lord He was in a good mood and stroked his beard as he continued, "In our manor, the only one younger than the sixth and seventh daughters is the eighth daughter."

I'll speak to your grandmother later and ask her to keep a close eye on the upbringing of the young ladies in our household.

He Zhizhang quickly understood Lord He's plan.

"Eighth Sister usually seems timid and cowardly, and is easily bullied."

Lord He looked displeased, but He Zhizhang smiled and said, "But from my observation, Eighth Sister has never suffered any real grievances."

Lord He's eyes flashed, and he only said one sentence, "After all, she is a child from our family. I will ask your grandmother to treat her better."

A promising talent, even in humble beginnings, should not discourage people.

The father and son understood each other without saying a word.

Perhaps because the father and son had opened up to each other that evening, He Zhizhang asked another question, "Father, can you tell me about what happened back then?"

He was the heir of a marquis's family, so he knew a little bit, but not in great detail.

Lord He gazed out the window at the slowly rising moon and fell into deep thought.

Just when He Zhizhang thought there would be no more answers today, Lord He slowly uttered a few words, "Ask whatever you want to ask."

He Zhizhang immediately perked up, "Why do you want to take Concubine Shui into your household?"

Based on his father's comments about women, he doesn't seem like the type to be obsessed with women.

Lord He immediately laughed and said, "Good question!"

He then jokingly remarked, "You've seen Shui's beauty, so how can you be so sure that I wasn't bewitched by her looks?"

Back then, the whole of Shengjing was abuzz with the news that Prince He had almost ruined the entire Marquis's future for a courtesan named Shui.

Everyone says he's bewitched, abandoning his wife, children, and family for a woman.

Back then, there were even rumors that the old Marquis was angered to death by his wasteful spending.

He Zhizhang shook his head. "If it were before today, I might have believed it. But now, I don't believe that my father is the kind of person who would be swayed by beauty."

Lord He laughed heartily, "I have a worthy successor!"

"Back then, the Leng family was at the height of its power, and even dared to dream of becoming the next heir to the throne."

When I pledged my life to Aunt Shui, our Marquis's mansion was naturally considered her supporter.

“At the time, I was young and impetuous, and I believed that with the support of the Shui clan, our plan would surely succeed, so I wanted to drag the entire Marquis's mansion into it.”

"Unfortunately, the late emperor would never tolerate the blood of the Leng clan flowing in the veins of the next generation's heir to the throne. So the late emperor struck first and wiped out the Leng clan."

"He ordered all men to be executed, and even unborn babies were cut open on the spot to see if they were boys or girls."

If it is a male, even if he is not yet fully developed, he will not survive.

"As for women, the late emperor also wanted them to be prostitutes for generations to come, and even if they gave birth to children, they could not expect to be respectable people."

He Zhizhang was shocked and extremely puzzled. "Then why was Father able to redeem Aunt Shui from her servitude?"