The General and Mrs. Fang had already agreed to let Xie Jue bring the children to visit, so they certainly wouldn’t turn them away at the door. The General, with no other choice, had to turn a blind eye and choose to ignore. This matter had been entangled for so long; he’d already scolded and beaten his son, yet the relationship couldn’t be broken. What else could he do? He had to be forced into accepting them.

Mrs. Fang took the children to stroll around the garden. Mingzhu and Ruyi behaved well and didn’t clamor to be near Xie Jue. The hosts entertained guests separately for men and women. The only woman in the Prince Manor was Mingzhu, who would take over household management in the future. Although Mrs. Fang knew her status, she did not show the slightest neglect. But after Mingzhu got married, the Prince Manor would lack a hostess. They would have to wait until Ruyi got married and there was a Princess Consort, as Mrs. Fang didn’t want anyone to ridicule her son for bearing the title of Princess Consort Yan. Even if she silently acknowledged this matter, Mrs. Fang hoped Fang Chuning could stand proudly in public, rather than in the inner quarters, which she and the General agreed upon.

It didn’t matter how the world viewed them, but if the children were able to live well, she would be truly at ease.

Mingzhu, being sensible, understood why her father brought them to the Fang Family. She was very close to Mrs. Fang and casually spoke highly of Xie Jue and mentioned how Fang Chuning would often teach her swordsmanship. Mrs. Fang understood the child’s intentions, unable to help but smile shyly, for strained relationships among adults could affect the children.

The General couldn’t look at Xie Jue without displeasure but had to admit that Fang Chuning and Xie Jue made a suitable pair when together. He didn’t want to delve into how they started or who took the initiative; it was meaningless. He had no intention of prying into the children’s privacy. Having agreed to let Xie Jue in, the General showed no pretense and straightforwardly laid out his conditions.

The future plans for the Fang Family were mostly already discussed with Xie Xun. Xie Xun had said that there was no need to inform Xie Jue, and he wouldn’t want to create additional complications to prevent unforeseen accidents.

But there were some things he must make clear to Xie Jue.

"Today you brought the children to visit, and soon it will spread throughout the capital. Everyone will know my and my wife’s attitude. You do not have a conventional marital contract. There’s no marriage certificate binding you, making maintaining the relationship more challenging than ordinary couples. While young and deeply in love, they naturally pay no mind to rumors and gossip. But the future is long, and no one can say whether hearts will change in the future. Prince, I only hope that if in the future, either of you changes your mind, it will be an amicable separation without making things difficult for each other."

Xie Jue was a prince; the Xie family was of the Imperial Family. If feelings were to change and one wished to make it difficult, how could a subject resist their ruler? Only to acknowledge the loss and accept blame.

"Yes, if the General is uneasy, I can write a statement. If I fail Anning, you can reveal it to the world, and I will follow your decision." Xie Jue didn’t pour his heart out to the General, nor would he reveal his passionate feelings for Fang Chuning. That intense love and attachment he preferred not to share with others. Moreover, standing before the well-experienced General, his youthful proclamations of love would seem frivolous and the General would find them laughable, not taking them seriously. He wouldn’t believe a man’s vows made during courtship.

"Good!"

"Father, you..."

"You, be quiet!" The General turned and reprimanded, ungrateful thing, for whom was he doing this?

Xie Jue gave Fang Chuning a calming glance, showing that he didn’t mind this matter. The General’s concerns were reasonable. The imbalance between him and Fang Chuning, where royal authority was an insurmountable peak, the General asking for a guarantee for Fang Chuning was quite normal. It was a parent’s expression of concern for their child’s welfare.

"This is the first matter!" The General had an official air about him. "Prince, you have descendants to inherit the lineage. You are aware that Xiaoqi is not of my blood; he’s a descendant of the Yuwen Family. The Emperor will not allow Xiaoqi to truly manage the Jiangnan garrison. I have no intention of instigating disputes. Fang Chuning must have descendants."

Xie Jue’s hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched into a fist, already breaking a sweat. He glanced at Fang Chuning, who presumed that the General wanted him to choose a child from the clan to adopt — something indifferent to him, as selecting a young child for adoption was a common form of bloodline continuation in large clans, something he didn’t oppose.

But Xie Jue understood clearly; the General hoped Fang Chuning would have a legitimate child.

A true continuation of the Fang lineage.

If he could nod in agreement, he would have thoroughly passed the test set by the General and Mrs. Fang.

Xie Jue thought that this was a requirement from the General, a test to gauge how deep his love for Fang Chuning was, whether he was willing to compromise for him.

Frankly speaking, Xie Jue was unwilling.

But this matter had been tangled for too long, with a poor relationship between Fang Chuning and the General, unlike a normal father and son. To him, the relationship between Fang Chuning and himself was already astonishingly unusual. For the General to accept it was challenging enough; without agreeing to leave a descendant for the Fang Family, the General would never recognize him.

Xie Jue rarely went against his own heart in his actions, "General, Anning and I had a ceremony honoring the heavens in Beiman. To me, we are no different from ordinary couples. I also understand that the revival of the Fang Family rests heavily on Anning’s shoulders. I won’t obstruct the Fang Family from having descendants. As long as he is willing, whether it’s having a child with a woman or adopting a clan descendant, I can accept it and will treat the child as my own."

Xie Jue passed the problem to Fang Chuning!

"What having children with a woman, obviously adopting a clan child, you’re just..." Fang Chuning finally came to his senses, looking incredulously at the General while scolding, "Are you out of your mind? Adopting a clan child is the simplest method and still holds the Fang bloodline. You want me to have children with someone, and you ask him? If he agrees, I can have children with someone? Are you here to sow discord?" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"You’ve really accomplished something, haven’t you? Still want to keep pure? I’m not asking you to have three wives and four concubines, just to leave a bloodline for the Fang Family. Why can he do it, but you cannot?"

Xie Jue, "..."

Fang Chuning, "..."