Free Web NovelChapter 1263: Chapter 1252: Illegitimate Son
The more the Li Family woman spoke, the more regretful she became. "Prince Kang is the Empress’s legitimate eldest son, he’s the most likely candidate for Crown Prince. Especially now that Prince Kang doesn’t have a single male heir in his back courtyard. If you enter his mansion and bear him a son, maybe your younger brother will still have a chance to become Imperial Uncle."
"Mother!" Ye Sihui let out a deep sigh. In her previous life, she had always thought her mother was smart, keeping all those concubines, bastards and concubine daughters in the back courtyard firmly suppressed and obedient. But only after living a second life did she realize that her mother’s thinking was far too idealistic.
"Although Prince Kang is the Holy Emperor’s legitimate eldest son, who doesn’t know that he’s not favored by the Holy Emperor? Since ancient times, how many Crown Princes have actually ascended the throne smoothly? Mother, how can you not think about these things?" Ye Sihui advised earnestly.
"How is that the same? History is history, reality is reality. Those legitimate sons in the histories who didn’t ascend the throne all had Empresses who died early. Our Empress is still living perfectly well. Prince Kang may be mediocre, but he is orthodox. If something happens to the Holy Emperor in the future, Prince Kang will be the first in line to inherit. Why are you so stubborn!"
Ye Sihui felt that her mother was the stubborn one, completely unpersuadable. You only think about the good outcome; why don’t you consider the possibility of failure? Still, fortunately the one being sent into Prince Kang Mansion this time wasn’t herself, and she didn’t want to argue with her mother about this.
Since she couldn’t escape the fate of being sent into a Prince’s mansion, she might as well gamble. Prince Kang was destined to have no fate with that position, so she would choose the one who would ascend in the future.
"Mother, you would never let me marry a man who doesn’t have great power, right? Even if I think that man has prospects, you still wouldn’t agree?" she probed.
The Li Family woman blurted out, "If a man has no family background, what future could he possibly have? How many sons of poor families in history turned out noble? Stop thinking about such things."
"In that case, Mother, I have long admired Prince An, and I want to marry him." Ye Sihui felt this was the best choice for herself. Prince An was the Holy Emperor’s third son and also the most beloved of his sons. Most importantly, the one who would ascend in the future was him.
"Prince An?" The Li Family woman frowned. "Since when did you start liking Prince An?"
A shy look appeared on Ye Sihui’s face. "That time at the garden party, I saw him once from afar."
The Li Family woman suddenly understood. "No wonder you came back from that outing and came down with a high fever, and after waking up you kept refusing to marry Prince Kang. But what’s so good about Prince An? He doesn’t have Prince Kang’s rightful status, nor Prince Min’s power. In the future he’s the least likely one. What use is the Holy Emperor’s favor alone?"
"But this World is the Holy Emperor’s World after all. Who can say for sure what will happen in the future? Didn’t you just say yourself that any Prince has more power than our family? Mother, please just think of it as fulfilling your daughter’s wish, all right?" Ye Sihui pleaded.
The Li Family woman hesitated. On one hand, what her daughter said was not unreasonable; on the other, she was her own flesh and blood, and she did dote on her, so she wanted to fulfill her wish.
"I’ll talk it over with your father again. When it comes to your marriages, your mother doesn’t have much say with your father."
"I believe in you, Mother. After all, you’re Father’s first wife; he’ll accommodate you. Second Sister is going to Prince Kang Mansion, and if I’m promised to Prince An, then out of the Holy Emperor’s three adult Princes, our family will be marrying into two. As for the remaining one, Prince Min— even if we try to cling to him, would he look kindly on our family? And if his power grows too great, it might even arouse the Holy Emperor’s suspicion!" Ye Sihui hinted tactfully.
The more the Li Family woman listened, the more sense it seemed to make, and she nodded as she looked at her. "You really have grown up and are thinking things through more and more thoroughly. All right, I’ll talk to your father properly tonight."
Ye Sihui smiled in relief. "Thank you, Mother. You’re the best. If I make something of myself in the future, I definitely won’t forget my younger brother."
"It’s best if you siblings can work together with one heart."
"But Mother, you can’t let little brother go on messing around like this. He’s already fifteen, he should understand some things by now. Eldest Brother had already passed the Scholar exam at fifteen." Ye Sihui advised.
At this, the Li Family woman felt both vexed and concerned, and she snorted. "Your eldest brother is just a bastard, and he can’t inherit the Duke title, so of course he only has the road of study. Your younger brother is not the same as your eldest brother."
Ye Sihui felt stifled with anger. Her mother complained that her son was useless, yet couldn’t bear to make him work hard. How could there be such a perfect outcome in this world?
But no matter what, they were her own full younger brother and her own mother; what could she really do? Only if her brother turned out well would she have real backing in the future. The glory brought by her maiden family and the glory granted by her husband were completely different things.
"Mother, don’t forget, when little brother inherits the Duke title it will already be demoted to the lowest rank. If he still doesn’t work hard, our family will truly decline."
"Isn’t there still you?" The Li Family woman said this without feeling good about it either. In the end, a family still depended on its men, but she really had no other options.
"How long will you have to wait for me to make my mark? Even if I devote myself wholeheartedly to helping little brother, would Prince An necessarily agree in the future? If little brother himself is useless, even if he’s given the chance, can he hold on to it?" Ye Sihui hated iron for not becoming steel, and also resented her mother’s indulgence of her brother.
"Mother, I may be the elder sister, but my brother and I are twins, we’re the same age. Now I already know to think for the family and for the future, but little brother knows nothing except eating, drinking, and having fun every day. You say he’s still young, but he’s already of an age to take a wife. If he doesn’t make something of himself, what girl from a good family would look at him?"
"I’m just afraid he’ll wear out his health. Look at your eldest brother, sickly as he is—what future can he possibly have?"
Ye Sihui cast her mother a glance and muttered, "Isn’t Eldest Brother like this because of you, Mother?"
"What nonsense are you talking?" The Li Family woman scolded, then turned her mouth aside somewhat guiltily.
"Mother, do you think by the time Father starts looking for a match for little brother, I’ll already have made my name?" Ye Sihui simply pointed it out bluntly. "If by then Father sacrifices little brother’s marriage for the sake of power and finds him a wife from a good family background but who is domineering, unreasonable, and ugly, would you want that kind of daughter-in-law? And you wouldn’t even be able to make her abide by your rules."
"I’m the mother-in-law, I’m her elder!" the Li Family woman said, unconvinced.
"But her family background is good, and her family’s power is stronger than ours."
"Then your brother is suave and handsome; why shouldn’t he get someone better?"
"The Princess’s concubine—does he not have good looks? Yet how many people in all over the capital truly look up to him?" Ye Sihui said mockingly.
The Li Family woman was so angry at this that she almost burst. "How can you compare that sort of person with your brother?"
Ye Sihui said helplessly, "Mother, I just want you to understand that if a man has no power, he won’t be respected just for his appearance. Little brother really needs to grow up; he’s the one who has to hold up this family in the future."
The Li Family woman’s thoughts were in turmoil, and she let out a heavy sigh. "All right, I understand all the reasoning you’ve laid out. I’ll hire a couple more teachers for your brother in the future."
