Chapter 65: The Eldest Young Master is Capable and Resourceful

"Second Dowager, stop picking on Ziqi's wife from now on. She isn't even your biological granddaughter-in-law. Once Zifang marries, you can discipline her however you please." With these words, the Second Master helped the Second Dowager to her feet, offered an apology to the Prince, and hurried away.

He knew how to read the situation well, and in moments like this, leaving was the best policy.

"Prince, Princess, this concubine takes her leave. I also ask the Princess Elder Sister to arrange people for the Shuxiang Courtyard as soon as possible." Consort Luo exchanged a glance with Shangguan Zishu and his wife, then chased after the Second Dowager.

When all the irrelevant people had departed, the Princess stepped forward affectionately, took Yu Yuanzheng—who was still standing in the middle of the hall—by the hand, and led her to a chair to sit down.

"Zheng'er, Zheng'er," the Princess called out twice, fearing that the girl had been shocked into a trance.

"Mother, I am fine. Your daughter-in-law was merely consumed by anger. I simply cannot understand why the Second Dowager always targets me."

Yu Yuanzheng truly could not comprehend why the two of them always had such unpleasant encounters.

What on earth was the Second Dowager's objective?

It was impossible for her to bear malice for no reason at all.

"She is nothing more than a madwoman; pay her no mind. I am very fond of you, and you must never speak of returning to your maiden home again. Ziqi will wake up," the Princess comforted gently.

"Mother, your daughter-in-law knows, but her words were utterly intolerable."

"Alas, she is simply like that. However, it was wrong of you to attempt to strike someone just now. No matter what, she is your elder."

"Yes, your daughter-in-law knows her fault." Yu Yuanzheng acknowledged her transgression, yet she noticed no trace of displeasure in the Princess's expression; instead, the older woman spoke with a smile.

"Ziqi's wife, was what you said just now true?" The Prince suddenly spoke up.

"Does Father refer to the matter of continuing the ancestral lineage?" Yu Yuanzheng asked.

She had already regained her composure.

"Mm."

"It is true."

"Good. If you can accomplish this, I will make a formal announcement to the clan so they stop scheming day and night." A rare smile touched the Prince's face.

It was evident that he welcomed this development greatly.

The joyous occasion of Yu Zhaoyang's pregnancy had been thoroughly disrupted by the Second Dowager's sharp tongue, leaving the happy event with hardly any celebratory air left.

Nevertheless, the Heir and his wife were still in high spirits upon returning to the Shuxiang Courtyard.

However, before they could exchange more than a few words, they were summoned to the Centenarian Courtyard by the Second Dowager.

"Zishu, find some time to go check on your eldest brother and see if he is truly capable of performing marital duties, as Ziqi's wife claimed," the Second Dowager ordered bluntly the moment she laid eyes on the Heir.

"Why?" Shangguan Zishu asked, perplexed.

"You fool! If he is truly capable, then there is a genuine possibility that his wife might conceive. Should any mishap befall you, the position of Heir will fall to Ziqi's child. The Prince is only forty-one years old now; it is entirely possible for him to see his grandchildren grow to adulthood."

"What?" Shangguan Zishu truly had not considered this possibility.

Presently, as the Heir, if Great Wei were to go to war, he would inevitably be sent to the battlefield.

Should the iron box remain unopened, they would have no choice but to rely on sheer strength.

No one could guarantee absolute safety.

If something were to happen to him, his child might not necessarily become the Heir of Prince Rong's estate.

At this thought, a heavy oppression settled in his chest like a ball of stuffed cotton.

"It is not appropriate for Zishu to go. I will go tomorrow morning," the Second Master volunteered, taking the task upon himself.

"If it turns out to be true, what shall we do?" Consort Luo asked anxiously.

"What is there to panic about? She hasn't even conceived yet, and even if she does, it will take ten months to be born. Who can say what changes might occur in the meantime?" The Second Dowager had completely shed her previous frantic demeanor.

"Zhaoyang, you must be careful from now on. Put the child in your womb above all else—do you remember? And as for your second younger sister, do not provoke her. Look at how she behaved today; she is no pushover, and you must not fall victim to her schemes," the Second Dowager admonished.

"Yes, the Second Dowager may rest assured, Zhaoyang will be mindful." Yu Zhaoyang's emotions at that moment were immensely complicated.

Trading marriages had altered her destiny, yet she never anticipated that the eldest young lord still possessed that capability.

In her past life, she had paid it no heed whatsoever, always seeing him in a state of deep slumber.

Had she known he possessed that function, she could have secured a child for herself, and her days would not have been entirely devoid of sustenance.

"Send a maid from my courtyard to attend to Zhaoyang, and another from the Consort's courtyard as well."

"Yes." Consort Luo had already intended to do just that.

Yet she had not expected that Yu Yuanzheng's proposal of utilizing seed-bearing would upset all those families who had been plotting to have their own children adopted under the eldest young lord's name.

None of them believed that the eldest young lord could continue the lineage; they insisted upon seeing the truth with their own eyes before they would relent.

Early the next morning, the first to arrive was the Second Master, Shangguan Hongchen.

Without a shred of embarrassment, he waited outside until Yu Yuanzheng rose and emerged.

Accompanied by two pages, he stepped into the inner chamber.

It was early morning, and men understood men best.

He knew that coming at this hour would reveal the truest reality most easily.

When the Second Master lifted the quilt and saw that Shangguan Ziqi's lower parts were experiencing morning vigor just like any normal man, he froze for a moment.

Having received verification, he departed with an expressionless face.

On the third day, several clan elders arrived as well.

It was truly a wonder that they could manage to wake up so early.

Upon witnessing the reality with their own eyes, they all departed crestfallen, heads hung low.

Consequently, everyone within the Shangguan clan learned that the Prince's eldest son was capable of continuing his lineage.

Meanwhile, the sleeping Shangguan Ziqi remained entirely unaware that he had been treated like a performing monkey.

Over these past few days, he had formed a habit: only when his page arrived each morning to help him wash and rinse did he regain perception of the outside world.

From then on, he retained his perception throughout the entire day, until Yu Yuanzheng climbed into bed at night, at which point he would peacefully let go of his thoughts and drift into a sound sleep together with her.

Yet sometimes, when Yu Yuanzheng stayed up late making medicinal pills with her maids, he could not wait that long and would end up missing certain occurrences.

Eager to know what was happening outside, he maintained his perception of the external world for as long as possible each day.

However, how could Yu Yuanzheng ever bring herself to speak to him about the continuation of the lineage? Thus, he remained utterly oblivious.

His body's natural reactions were beyond the control of his conscious mind, leaving him completely in the dark.

It was also on this very afternoon that Xia Yu entered the Qiya Courtyard.

"Well? Has the investigation been completed?" Yu Yuanzheng asked eagerly the moment she laid eyes on him.

"Replying to the Eldest Young Madam, it has been thoroughly investigated.

Young Lord Zifang does indeed harbor a beauty in a hidden nook, and furthermore, that woman is a courtesan from the pleasure houses. This has been going on for nearly a year.

She is not from the capital, but rather from Jingyang County, eighty li away from the capital.

Young Lord Zifang made her acquaintance during an outing with several young nobles from the capital.

He became utterly infatuated, redeemed her indenture for one hundred and fifty taels of silver, brought her back to the capital, and settled her in that small courtyard."

Xia Yu had spent two whole days gathering this information and had even made a personal trip to Jingyang County.

"Truly, like father, like son. Is that woman very attractive?" Yu Yuanzheng asked, a surge of bitter resentment rising within her heart.

"From this subordinate's perspective, she is slightly more attractive than the Third Miss of the Marquis of Ning'an's estate. However, the two cannot truly be compared. Women of the dust generally acquire the arts of pleasing men, and many men are powerless against the temptation of such methods. Young Lord Zifang is still young and lacking in worldly experience, so he was likely temporarily bewitched," Xia Yu analyzed objectively.

Yu Yuanzheng remained unimpressed.

A scoundrel was a scoundrel. Calling him a young lord of a noble house was an absolute insult to the breed.

"Has the Eldest Young Lord ever frequented the pleasure quarters?" Yu Yuanzheng suddenly inquired about Shangguan Ziqi.