Chapter 48: Chapter 46: The Heir Issue
"Let’s go to Cuiyun Tower for drinks first." Wei Tu was the first to break the silence.
He glanced at Weii Fei and said, "I still owe you a meal, Second Brother. I haven’t had a chance to make it up to you. Today’s our day off, and I just got paid a while ago..."
It would be a lie to say Wei Tu didn’t care whether Fu Zhizhou chose to honor their oath. Having another ally in the officialdom of Shannan Dao was always better than fighting alone.
However, unlike Weii Fei, Wei Tu was confident he could distinguish himself in the next Military Examination and become a Martial Scholar.
At that time, even without Fu Zhizhou’s help, he could break free from the suppression by Hex Prefecture’s faction in Qingfeng Prefecture and make a name for himself.
Without the help of Fu Zhizhou, his most promising "Fourth Brother," he still had Weii Fei, a friend from the same county. The two of them would face hardships together.
"Alright, Third Brother." Upon hearing Wei Tu’s words, most of Weii Fei’s disappointment vanished.
He smiled, dressed in simple clothes, and walked with Wei Tu toward Cuiyun Tower.
In the two months they had served as officers in the Xiang Army Government Office, Wei Tu, as the Capital Army Envoy in charge of "rewards and punishments," hadn’t interacted much with the soldiers under him and hadn’t formed a deep bond.
But Weii Fei was different. He was the "Head Coach" of the Xiang Army, responsible for martial drills and exercises. He spent all day mingling with the soldiers, and there were few people in all of Qingshan County who didn’t know of him.
Arriving at Cuiyun Tower.
Wei Tu spared no expense, spending seven maces of silver to order a fine spread to thank Weii Fei for his generosity when they went to deliver a gift to Jian Liang’s home together.
The spread was lavish, with meat dishes of every kind: braised sea cucumber with scallions, soy-braised pork knuckle, Four-Joy meatballs, and stir-fried pork kidney.
There were also seasonal cold dishes and fresh fruits.
At the same time, Wei Tu spent an extra two maces of silver to have the Cuiyun Tower’s Shopkeeper fetch a pot of high-quality "Peach Blossom Brew."
Seeing how generous and magnanimous Wei Tu was, Weii Fei’s opinion of him rose to a new level. He felt that he hadn’t made a mistake in choosing Wei Tu as his sworn brother.
After several rounds of drinks and various dishes, Weii Fei’s face was flushed red.
His tongue was thick as he slurred, "First Brother Kou Liang, Fourth Brother Fu Zhizhou... even if I were to disown them both, I would still acknowledge you, Third Brother..."
With that said, he threw an arm around Wei Tu’s shoulder and fell into a deep sleep at the table.
Hearing this, Wei Tu shook his head. After removing Weii Fei’s arm from his shoulder, he too, overcome by the wine, fell asleep beside Weii Fei.
He understood that Fu Zhizhou’s success and fame had, ironically, strengthened the bond between him and Weii Fei. Those who fall on hard times together... find it easier to band together for warmth.
...
Time passed. In the blink of an eye, it was the 25th year of Qing’an.
On New Year’s Day of that year, Wei Tu took Xinghua to Shan Wuju’s home to pay their respects for the new year. He did not return to the Wei Family Stronghold in Changming Town.
During the six-plus months that Wei Tu had been an officer, the Clan Leader of the Wei Family Stronghold had sent young men from the village to find him several times. They wanted him to acknowledge his ancestors and return to Changming Town to worship them.
But Wei Tu refused every time.
A few years ago, when he left the Wei Family Stronghold, Wei Tu had been bothered by the fact that he and Xinghua were not allowed to be entered into the ancestral hall. But now, he had gradually let go of it.
However, letting go of the grudge was one thing, but Wei Tu was no fool. He knew the real reason the Wei Family Stronghold’s Clan Leader wanted him to acknowledge his ancestors: they were after his status as a Military Officer and wanted the clan members of the Wei Family Stronghold to benefit from his connections.
Of course, Wei Tu wasn’t heartless toward his own father, Wei Bao. He had sent Wei Bao a letter, intending to have him move in with him and live out his golden years in comfort.
Wei Tu knew that the poor people of this era didn’t have many choices.
He didn’t resent Wei Bao for selling him to the Li Family back then, or for urging him to leave quickly when he returned home to visit...
The former was to ensure he survived during the famine years, while the latter was to prevent him from being humiliated in the Wei Family Stronghold.
If not for the more than one tael of silver that Wei Bao had secretly slipped him during that visit, buying his freedom would have likely taken much longer.
And that... that sum of over one tael, was almost all of Wei Bao’s wealth.
However, what Wei Tu hadn’t expected was that his father, Wei Bao, had made a decision completely opposite to that of the Wei Family Stronghold’s Clan Leader—
Not only did he not try to cling to his "powerful" son, he instead took the initiative to draw a line between himself and his eldest son.
Wei Bao sent a message by person, saying he had other sons to support him and didn’t need Wei Tu to provide for him. He told Wei Tu and Xinghua to live their own lives well and that just sending some holiday gifts each year would be enough.
Seeing this, Wei Tu could only give up on the idea.
He chose to respect Wei Bao’s wishes, sending him some holiday gifts, clothes, and food supplies every year.
—After becoming a "Capital Army Envoy," his finances were relatively comfortable, but he still had to pay back Caixia... The redemption silver for Xinghua and the money to buy their small courtyard added up to a significant sum.
With his current wealth, he could manage to support Wei Bao, but supporting two more of his own younger brothers would be too much of a strain.
’Growing boys can eat you out of house and home.’
Therefore, since he couldn’t return to the Wei Family Stronghold to visit his family, Wei Tu could only take Xinghua to Shan Wuju’s home to pay New Year’s respects.
A master is like a father.
When he left Changming Town last year, Shan Wuju had said he was lending Wei Tu the Cyan Horse, which was worth a hundred taels, but there was little difference between that and an outright gift.
After Wei Tu finished the Military Examination, Shan Wuju never asked for it back.
’Our youngest daughter didn’t come this time. She’s probably still upset about what happened last year...’
Mrs. Min of the Shan Family sat in the living room, looking at Shan Yanggong, Wei Tu, and Xinghua before her, and sighed to herself.
Although she was slightly disgusted by Shan Fang’s "greed," without Shan Fang chattering and clamoring in her ear, she always felt like something was missing.
Besides, since Shan Fang hadn’t come, she naturally hadn’t brought their only grandson, Shan Yiwu.
"Yanguo, if this continues, you should just take a concubine. Your wife still hasn’t given birth, and this can’t go on..."
Mrs. Min of the Shan Family frowned as she looked at Shan Yanggong, who stood by with his hands clasped, and spoke.
In the Prefecture City, she couldn’t say much out of consideration for Shan Yanggong’s wife, but here in Sanyuan Town, there was no need for such reservations.
"Mother, about this matter..." Shan Yanggong’s face showed his hesitation.
"Listen to your mother. In a few days, I will find a suitable family for you here in Sanyuan Town and act as a matchmaker," Mrs. Min of the Shan Family said decisively.
Hearing this, Shan Yanggong sighed. He knew he couldn’t argue further and silently chose to accept.
Having no heir was also the reason he couldn’t hold his head high in front of Shan Fang.
"Brother Wei, when are we going to have a son too..." Seeing this, Xinghua, who was beside him, was stirred. She pinched Wei Tu’s wrist and asked in a low voice.
Wei Tu raised an eyebrow. "Let’s wait a few more years. We’ll talk about it then. There’s no rush for us."
In the past six months, he had spoken with Shan Wuju about Innate Martial Masters and had heard from him more about their wondrous abilities.
Besides possessing the Spirit Secret Technique for interrogating people, Innate Martial Masters could also help an unborn fetus undergo "Yijing Marrow Washing."
A fetus "conditioned" in this way by an Innate Martial Master would be born with a Martial Arts Root Bone far superior to that of an ordinary person, allowing them to make immense progress in their Martial Arts cultivation.
If it was possible, Wei Tu planned to wait until he became an Innate Martial Master before considering the matter of having children.
—After all, he didn’t want to be a white-haired man mourning one with black hair.
