Jinjiang Pavilion.

Li Wuwei and his friends were chatting lively.

Whether it was poetry, essays, gambling games like dice and Pai Gow, or political affairs and court discussions, they had much more to talk about compared to family matters.

After the poetry session ended, they agreed on a time to go horseback riding, making the upcoming schedule quite packed.

Unconsciously, it was already dark, and it was about time to leave.

“Time always flies when chatting with you, Wuwei. My wife probably can’t wait any longer,” one of them chuckled, stroking his beard. “She’s usually impatient with these gatherings, and she’s probably gone home by now. If I’m late, she’ll surely nag me again.”

“Young couples accompany each other in old age. Now that we’re older, we understand their virtues. Those concubines and fragrant sleeves are better left alone.”

“Wuwei, you’re still relatively young. Mingling with those concubines may seem fine now, but when you reach our age, you’ll realize the importance of having a wife.”

“I know a few good girls. There’s one who’s already past her filial mourning period, though she’s much younger than you by over ten years. She’s gentle and kind-hearted…”

Li Wuwei always wore a smile, mastering the art of maintaining a smile no matter what others said. He wouldn’t engage in discussions that people knew were futile to bring up.

“Speaking of which, the Chen family has indeed produced a promising talent,” remarked one of Li Wuwei’s good friends. “I must say, Jinjiang Pavilion is managed exceptionally well. I heard Chen’s youngest son is handling the business for the first time, and he has achieved such success. Even having you come out to help speaks volumes. Just this fact alone is impressive.”

Many in the capital knew of Chen Huanzhi’s talent, but being educated and skilled in horsemanship didn’t necessarily mean he would excel in officialdom.

However, judging from his management of Jinjiang Pavilion, it’s clear he not only excels in education but also in interpersonal skills. From what can be seen, once he formally enters officialdom, he likely won’t be inferior to anyone.

Truly, heroes emerge in their youth.

One capable individual can surpass dozens of inept ones.

It seems His Highness the Crown Prince isn’t as weak as he appears.

This struggle for the throne may continue to drag on.

“He deserves more admiration than just that,” Li Wuwei said meaningfully. “But you’ll come to understand that in due time.”

“You’re teasing me with this mystery…”

While these two friends were talking, the official who had originally sent someone to check if his wife had left interrupted them.

“What did you say? Madam doesn’t want to go back?”

“Yes, sir,” the servant trembled, “Madam said she doesn’t want to go back for now and asked you to go ahead alone. If you feel lonely, the maid you were interested in before can be sent to accompany you.”

The servant lowered his head, unable to meet his master’s gaze.

“It’s impossible. How could Madam say such a thing to me?” The official’s immediate reaction was disbelief. “Are you making this up?”

“Sir, I dare not lie,” the servant replied fearfully.

The servant was on the verge of tears, feeling utterly helpless.

Actually, when Madam spoke with that tone, it was even more disdainful, as if the master was an irremovable band-aid. But the servant dared not say such words and had to cover for Madam. After all, it’s not the master who manages the household finances.

“Maybe Brother Wang, you’ve done something to upset Sister-in-law.”

“We’ve been married for so long, a private apology will suffice.”

“That’s right, that’s right.”

Their friends around them started teasing.

But this teasing didn’t last long.

Because soon enough, the servants of these people began to return one after another, reporting that their wives all said they wanted to stay here for a while and asked the masters to go ahead.

One or two incidents could be coincidences, but when all these wives wanted to stay and play a few rounds here before their husbands left, it was surprising.

What’s going on?

Could it be that there’s some kind of charm on this Jinjiang Pavilion?

“What exactly is happening?”

“No, I need to go and see.”

“Wait for me.”

“Could it be that Madam has some undisclosed secrets?”

…..

These scholars were accustomed to their wives revolving around them. Suddenly realizing they were no longer the center of their wives’ activities, how could they feel good about it?

“Could this be what you meant by making people take notice?” a friend asked Li Wufei, puzzled.

“Exactly,” Li Wufei nodded confidently. “Just wait and see. The coming days in the capital will become even more interesting.”

The scholars were quickly led by the servants of Jinjiang Pavilion to different small rooms.

The places for men and women to rest were completely different.

The rooms for the men were larger and more spacious, but fewer in number. On the other hand, the rooms for the women were each small and pitifully tiny, yet they appeared more refined. A quick count revealed there were at least thirty to forty rooms for the women.

These narrow rooms, their own wives shouldn’t possibly find them appealing, right?

Before the scholars could ponder further, they heard strange sounds coming from inside the rooms.

It sounded like several stones being placed together.

“I almost had a self-draw just now.”

Self-draw…?

The scholars outside turned pale.What does this mean?

Could it be that their wives have discovered some new hobby?“

Just now, Sister Wang’s perfect timing for a chicken hand was excellent.

”Chicken what?

“I’ve lost more than ten rounds in a row. If I keep losing like this, I’ll have to send someone to my husband to take his jade pendant from his waist.”

One scholar quickly took off his jade pendant and put it in his arms.

This is his favorite jade pendant.

“What exactly are they doing inside?”

“I’ll go take a look.”

“What kind of tricks is Jinjiang Pavilion playing?

”Almost unanimously, these scholars waiting outside chose to barge in.

After entering the room, they saw a small table and four elegantly smiling noble ladies, except their jewelry seemed to have been taken off and placed on the floor.

The key was how genuinely happy they looked.

From the closest to the most distant relationships between spouses.

In that instant, the men who barged in were all thinking: how could their wives be this happy?

No, it should be asked, how long had it been since they last saw their wives this happy?

Could it be that with a decree, and worries about clothing and food taken care of, people would become happy?

No, that’s not it.

Regardless of the era or status, the pursuit of happiness will always be a human instinct.

And the mahjong tiles that bring them happiness will instantly ignite the noblewomen’s circle in Beijing with overwhelming force!

Chen Huanzhi estimated it was about time.

Changyang should have finished his exams too.

The more Chen Huanzhi understood the world where Changyang lived, the more he yearned for it.

With the state funding, children could receive nine years of compulsory education for free, and they learned not just literacy but everything including astronomy, geography, music theory, and arts. Women could attend school and take exams alongside men. Although there might be differences in numbers, such a life was beyond Chen Huanzhi’s imagination here.

Even in folk novels, it was hard to envision such a beautiful scene.

Hard to imagine.

Even the life of immortals can’t surpass this, right?

Chen Huanzhi sometimes felt that perhaps Changyang’s existence was just a dream of his, a manifestation of hysteria. Yet, when he listened to Changyang chattering about their world, Chen Huanzhi found it fascinating.

If their Great Yan Dynasty could achieve even half, no, one percent or even a thousandth of what Changyang’s world was, it would be worth his efforts.

“Chen Big Brother, you finally lit incense,” Changyang’s voice brought Chen Huanzhi’s thoughts back.

“Judging by your appearance, you must have done well in the exam,” Chen Huanzhi said, seeing Changyang looking relaxed, which lifted his own spirits.

“Yeah, the questions weren’t difficult. Now it’s just a matter of my total score,” Changyang chuckled. “But judging by your demeanor, Chen Big Brother, your progress should be good too, right?”

“Mm.” Chen Huanzhi recalled everything that had happened at Jinjiang Pavilion earlier, a faint smile appearing on his face. “Just as you said, mahjong quickly became their pleasure. Before leaving, they had already booked private rooms for the next half month.”

Not only that, but they also learned quite a bit of news during the day’s business.

For instance, there was an intention for an alliance between Family X and Family XX, though the head of the household seemed to still be considering it. Another example was the tense relationship between Family X and XX, despite being close relatives, which was on the verge of exploding.

These were all secrets of the aristocracy, impossible to uncover through conventional means, but at Jinjiang Pavilion, these wealthy ladies’ casual conversations effortlessly revealed these tidbits.

While these pieces of information might seem trivial, if utilized effectively, they could serve as a vast intelligence network, capable of unraveling the dealings of the upper echelons of the capital’s society.

Of course, sometimes it’s necessary to discard false information. Each piece of news must be thoroughly verified before it can be used.

This process will need refinement in the future.

Today, only a dozen or so wealthy ladies came.

But soon, it will grow to dozens, even hundreds.

Among women, information spreads the fastest, and they also compete with each other.

Mahjong is a game that requires four players to play.

Therefore, for a wealthy lady to play, she needs to bring at least three friends along, and those who can become her friends must also be of considerable wealth.

In this way, mahjong will surely become the top leisure activity in Beijing.

Its reputation will bring Jinjiang Pavilion a steady stream of customers.

“However, once everyone gets into mahjong, they might prefer playing at home.” Dong Changyang casually remarked, “By then, Chen Big Brother, you can come up with some new gameplay, like a hundred-person mahjong tournament or something similar, and they’ll come back.”

“No problem.” Chen Huanzhi knew Dong Changyang was concerned about the future of Jinjiang Pavilion. “Here is different from your place. For a gambling-like game like this, it will take some time for the noble ladies to want to play at home. That time is enough for us to seize the opportunity. There’s nothing that can be constantly kept under our control.”

“Oh.” Dong Changyang seemed to understand vaguely, quickly shifting the focus, “So, Chen Big Brother, shall we continue learning painting tomorrow?”

“Yes, as usual.” Chen Huanzhi nodded seriously, addressing each word deliberately to preempt any unspoken thoughts from Dong Changyang, “Mahjong can be addictive. During your break, no playing mahjong outside. Stay focused.”

Dong Changyang: …

But it’s almost three months away, can’t I play even a single game?