"Mother, whatever wish you have, your son is willing to fulfill it for you, but this matter, truly, I cannot accomplish." Having children is indeed a major event in life, but he couldn’t arbitrarily find a woman just to leave descendants, what kind of talk is that? This would be unfair to everyone, not only to him and Ting Feng, but also to the child.

"What is so difficult about this? Is it that Ting Feng is unwilling? If you hope for your mother to sincerely accept you both, then this is your mother’s only condition. If you cannot say it, your mother will speak to Ting Feng."

"No!" Fang Chuning couldn’t help but say, "Mother, you’re already considering separating from Father, why do you care about the Fang family’s descendants? I don’t mind at all."

"Do you truly not mind?" Mrs. Fang’s emotions were stirred up, "Answer me, do you feel no regret at all?"

Regret?

Absolutely, but Ting Feng also doesn’t have a true bloodline.

Compared to Ting Feng, descendants with unknown character, whom he has never interacted with, naturally seem less important.

"What concerns your mother is not whether the Fang family has descendants, but you, whether my son, after a hundred years, will have someone to perform rites, whether there will be a bloodline preserved. Although grandchildren may have their own blessings, when I close my eyes, I can ignore worldly matters, but how could your mother bear it? I cannot accompany you for a hundred years. If in the future, your feelings with Ting Feng change, twenty years later, thirty years later, when others have grandchildren around, enjoying familial bliss, and you are lonely, with no one caring, even if your mother dies, my eyes would remain open." Mrs. Fang, being a rather traditional woman, found it challenging to accept such unconventional feelings due to her education. She would support Fang Chuning, not letting him be criticized by many, but at most, she could turn a blind eye; truly accepting was too difficult for her.

"Mother, Mingzhu is not Ting Feng’s biological child. When he was acting as an intermediary during his time in Beiman, someone used Lan Ningzhen’s identity. He was merely compensating Lan Ningzhen and her mother for their suffering. Ruyi... Aren’t you curious why Old Mrs. Feng and the second Madam treat Ruyi as a treasure, and why Ruyi often stays at the Feng home, personally taught by Old Mrs. Feng?"

Mrs. Fang, "..."

This matter was discussed between Xie Jue and Fang Chuning. He knew that Fang Chuning would inevitably face disputes regarding Xie Jue’s two children when facing his family. Xie Jue directly told Fang Chuning to reveal the truth about Ruyi and Mingzhu’s backgrounds without concern. Although there were not many who knew, nor too few, Mrs. Fang would keep the secret, and he did not wish for any disagreements between Fang Chuning and his mother over this. What seemed simple became complicated, and Xie Jue didn’t wish to be seen by the Great Marshal’s family as a man of divided loyalties. If this wasn’t explained clearly, they would always view him that way, even if unspoken, there would be criticism in their hearts.

"Ruyi is... the child of Shouyu..." Mrs. Fang was shocked. But Feng Shu had been imprisoned at Xiangguo Temple for almost a year and quietly gave birth to Xie Zhang’s eldest son without knowledge. Mrs. Fang had never thought of Xie Zhang and Feng Shu in that way. First, she liked Feng Shu very much, being a young lady of a big family, careful with her words and actions, following rituals and propriety, and Xie Zhang was known as a gentleman, separated by life and death on their wedding night. How would she think that Feng Shu actually had a posthumous child? Ruyi’s appearance clearly bore the Xie family traits, not from Xie Xun or Xie Jue, thus must be Xie Zhang’s. It’s no wonder the Feng family cherished Ruyi so much, Su Yuejiao treated him as a treasure, anxious over any bruise or bump, because he was her own grandson.

Mrs. Fang felt surprised and ashamed, having truly believed that after Xie Jue made a pact with her son, he still harbored intentions of leaving descendants, frustrated with Fang Chuning and considering him unworthy of iron, not thinking that although his son was free and unrestrained, he would never compromise on such matters, not even for deep affection, would he indulge Ting Feng to such an extent.

"It was I who misunderstood." Mrs. Fang appeared absent-minded, also recalling that tragic massacre, a tragedy beyond anyone’s control. "I will not speak a word of this to others."

"Mother, does this make you comfortable now?"

"Do you think I could be comfortable?" Mrs. Fang glared at him.

Fang Chuning said, "Mother, we still have Xiaoqi in the family. You will surely have grandchildren. Just urge Xiaoqi to have more children, adopt one over to me, and everything will be fine."

"You think so easily! If you want a son, have one yourself. Xiaoqi’s children have both parents, why adopt them to you?" The more Mrs. Fang thought, the more she became angry, "Stop thinking about it."

Fang Chuning, "..."

Mrs. Fang thought about it through the night and finally agreed to attend Mingzhu’s birthday feast. Fang Chuning was overjoyed, informed Xie Jue in advance, and he soon sent an invitation to Mrs. Fang, inviting her as a guest. The Great Marshal was furious but didn’t dare to vent his anger at his wife, could only curse Fang Chuning, unable to stop Mrs. Fang. He confined Fang Chuning at home, made him kneel in the ancestral hall, forbidding him to step out, thinking this might make Mrs. Fang change her mind. But who knew Mrs. Fang, prepared with gifts, just took the carriage and left. Her son, with his thick skin, wasn’t kneeling for the first time either. Once decided, she wouldn’t turn back, as the banquet was originally for female guests, and she didn’t want Fang Chuning to appear openly at such a feast. If he stood with Xie Jue, the birthday feast would be overwhelmed.

Fang Chuning wasn’t going in the first place, punished as he was. The Great Marshal couldn’t stop Mrs. Fang and could only watch her leave by carriage.

The ancestral hall was full of tablets and incense. Fang Chuning knelt upright on the mat, gazing at his ancestors, feeling bitter in his heart. Things turned out like this. He did not regret it, just felt a bit lost. He once hesitated, choosing the family over his lover, but after many happenings, his thoughts changed. Gains come with losses, and he knew what he was giving up. Kneeling in the ancestral hall, he felt uneasy and could only pray to his ancestors not to be too angry, forgiving him, this unworthy descendant.

The Great Marshal entered the ancestral hall, looking coldly at Fang Chuning, who ignored him. Without his mother, even a pretense of peace was too much trouble; Fang Chuning simply did not care to deal with him.

"Tunan, I ask you one last time, are you willing to follow me to guard Jiangnan?"

"No!"

"You say that your father only cares for family glory. If it were just for glory, why would the Fang family move out of the capital? Your father opposes you and Ting Feng because your situation is indeed unusual and unaccepted by the world. The most important reason is that Ting Feng is the only prince of the Xie family with descendants. The Emperor loves the Empress deeply, neglecting the other palaces. In the clans’ eyes, Ting Feng and Ruyi can replace the Emperor and the Prince. Such a plot has been well-practiced since the Yuwen Dynasty. Though Ting Feng has no ambition for the throne, others have ulterior motives. And you... you are a powerful Great General. Being with Ting Feng means the end of your future and aspirations. Ting Feng must withstand the clans’ scheming, while you must endure the mundane life post-passion and the regret of lost ambitions. How long can you both endure?"