Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5035: Children are the support, men are nothing!
*****
Mrs. Lu was extremely happy holding her son's hand and was becoming more and more satisfied with her son. She didn't want any great hero who resisted the aristocratic family and destroyed the clan, nor did she want any person who would be famous in history and whose name would be recorded in the annals of history. People like that would not have a good ending. She just wanted her son to be happy, wealthy and peaceful.

She looked outside the door and saw that her daughter-in-law was not there, so she moved closer to her son and whispered, "You have already achieved success and fame, and it is not an exaggeration to say that you are the best minister of the dynasty, but there are still not enough people in your room, and your wives and concubines are all strong. Why don't I find you a few gentle and lovely women to serve you in your room? Your eldest brother is now in Japan, and he has vowed to spread the classics like a demon, but he doesn't even have an heir. The task of continuing the family line of the Qinghe Fang family depends entirely on you!"

For a long time, the marriage life of her two sons has always been a hidden worry for this old mother.

Dalang took after his father and was henpecked by nature. He lived his life solely on his wife, and even after she took in two concubines, he was not close to them. His eldest daughter-in-law only gave birth to a daughter, and no sons. Could it be that the eldest son of the family would never have descendants?

Erlang did have many wives and concubines, as well as children, but they were all of prominent status, from wealthy families, and most of them had strong personalities. Whenever she saw her second son being "kind and gentle" and "compromising", her, as an old mother, felt distressed.

Now he is the most powerful person in the dynasty. Even if he doesn't have hundreds of concubines, he still needs someone to serve him, right?

Fang Jun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. His mother had controlled his father strictly all his life, not even allowing him to take a concubine. But when it came to his son, she took the initiative to arrange for someone to enter his room. Such "double standards" made his father feel a little confused. Was he lamenting that fate was unfair and that some were favored over others?
Holding Lu's hand, he said gently, "As the saying goes, 'A harmonious family brings prosperity'. I don't envy other noble family children who have many wives and concubines. Life is short, and it's better to have a few soulmates to accompany you for just a few decades. Isn't it better to have a harmonious family and a peaceful life than all the intrigues and chaos? I don't lust after beauty. What matters most is that we have compatible feelings and personalities."

There was certainly no saying of "a harmonious family brings prosperity" at that time, but Lu was a lady from a prominent family, well-educated and well-mannered. Of course, she had read "Tao Te Ching". When she heard her son's words, she immediately remembered the passage "The world has a beginning, which is the mother of the world. Knowing the mother, you can know the child. If the mother is calm, the child will be at peace. If the child is at peace, the family will be harmonious." So she knew that "a harmonious family brings prosperity" was derived from this.

He couldn't help but smile, and exclaimed: "Erlang is indeed quick-witted and well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge. He can even apply the words of the Tao Te Ching flexibly and extend them."

Even if Fang Jun was thick-skinned, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed at this moment. You have to remember that not long ago, he was ridiculed by Li Chengqian and Liu Li in the imperial study. Those two must have been mocking him for being "unlearned and incompetent" in their hearts...

*****
When he returned to the backyard, he saw his wives and concubines playing with the children, so he went to the study alone. When the servants served him tea, he ordered, "Send someone to the library to find a copy of the Han Dynasty. I want to read it."

Since this is an old story from the time of Emperor Wen of Han, I think it should be recorded in the "Book of Han", right?

After a moment, there were the sounds of footsteps and the jingling of jewelry. Fang Jun looked up and saw Xiao Shuer, dressed in a skirt, walking in with light steps.

Her elegant and refined face is as white as jade and as delicate as a baby's. Her appearance is pretty and her temperament is gentle, just like a girl in the boudoir. How could she have the charm of a mature woman?
Feeling the admiring and praising look in her husband's eyes, Xiao Shu'er was in a good mood. She placed the pile of books in her hands on the desk, patted them gently with her slender white hands, and a puzzled look appeared on her beautiful face: "Why do you suddenly want to read "Han Shu"? "

A huge work of hundreds of thousands of words cannot be finished in a few months.

My husband is a master of poetry and calligraphy, but he is not a studious person. He does read books, but they are mostly miscellaneous books on astrology, medicine and divination. He has never been interested in history books...

Fang Jun scratched his eyebrows, but did not feel embarrassed. He told the emperor about the "humiliation" he suffered in the imperial study today.

Xiao Shuer was so gentle and dignified that she couldn't help but smile at this moment. Seeing her lover looking at her helplessly, she became even more delighted.

She smiled, her lips were red like cherries, her teeth were white like jade, her eyebrows were raised, and she said in a delicate voice: "This Liu Sidao is too mean, how can he tease others like this? Even if you are talented, you can't recite all the books you have read by heart, this person is not kind."

She sat down next to Fang Jun. She had black hair like clouds, a white neck, a beautiful face, and a faint, elegant fragrance like orchid and musk.

Fang Jun pushed the book aside, hugged the beauty and placed her on the desk...

The breeze blew in from the window, lifting the sweaty hair, and her fair face was flushed with rosy clouds, and her eyes were sparkling with watery light.

After tidying up, Xiao Shu'er sat sideways in her lover's arms, not caring about the sweat all over her body, and her breathing slowly calmed down.

Fang Jun laughed softly and said, "You are so greedy, but I wonder if you are greedy for my beauty or obsessed with having an heir?"

The young lady was very clingy, probably because she was crazy about having an offspring. She seized every opportunity to get close to him, and seemed to have thrown aside the reserve of a lady from a noble family, and was only interested in taking what she wanted.

Xiao Shu'er panted slightly, her face blushing, and said mischievously: "Fish is what I want; bear's paw is also what I want. I can have both, but I won't give them up."

Fang Jun was delighted to see such a dignified and virtuous woman say such interesting and provocative words. He picked up his wife and walked out the door: "The weather is a bit hot, and we are sweating and sticky. Let's take a bath together to cool down."

Xiao Shuer stretched out her slender arms and put them around her husband's neck, her face blushing as she whispered, "Don't you want to read a book, husband?"

"How can a book be as beautiful as you? Books are what I want; beautiful women are also what I want. I can't have both, so I'll give up books and choose beautiful women!"

……

There is a water pavilion in the garden, surrounded by lush trees and sparkling water. The lotus flowers in the pond have not yet bloomed, and even the buds have not yet emerged, but the flowers and leaves are like a canopy, and everything is green. When you are in it, you can only feel the cool breeze and a peaceful mood.

Princess Gaoyang was pouring tea from a pot, and smiled at Lu and Princess Changle in front of her, saying, "Shu'er must be anxious, pestering her husband all day long, throwing her usual reserve aside."

Princess Changle drank tea but smiled without saying a word.

Mrs. Lu held a teacup in her hand, looking very comfortable and relaxed. She was slightly dissatisfied when she heard this: "All of you have children, but Shu'er doesn't. How can you not be anxious? I have seen through that girl. She looks gentle, weak, calm and elegant, but in fact, she is soft on the outside and strong on the inside. Your Highness should not ridicule her in person because of this matter. Don't make her angry."

Princess Gaoyang immediately cried out: "How could I be that kind of person? Don't you see that I am avoiding them now, just to let Erlang accumulate more so that Shu'er can get pregnant sooner."

"oops!"

Princess Changle's jade-white cheeks blushed with shame, and she said angrily, "How can you bring up such a thing? You have no shame!"

Mrs. Lu disagreed: "What's there to be ashamed of between us women? The relationship between husband and wife is the most important thing in the world. The greatest mission of us women in this life is to give birth to children and expand the family. By the way, you two should not be lazy just because you have children. Give Erlang more nourishment and be more diligent. Have more children while you are young, otherwise you will regret it when you are old."

The medical level in this era is extremely low. Even for a wealthy family like the Fang family, which has the best medical resources in the world, it is difficult to say that "medicine can cure all diseases". This is especially true for infants and young children. Once they get sick, it almost means death.

Even from a probability perspective, having only one son is not an option. You must have children one after another. If you can still have children, then don't stop...

Princess Gaoyang looked serious and gritted her teeth: "Don't worry, mother, I will definitely give birth to more children and support Erlang in the future!"

She is the principal wife, and all her children are legitimate. Only if her children can establish their own family, the Fang family will be as stable as a rock in the future. Otherwise, if the legitimate sons are weak and the illegitimate sons are talented, that would be a hidden danger that would put the entire family in jeopardy.

Mrs. Lu smiled happily: "That's right! You should listen to men's sweet words but don't believe them. You are in your prime now, with a great figure and beautiful face. He will love you and cling to you day and night, but when you are old and ugly in the future, do you think he will still love you as much as he did in the past? Even if Erlang is my son, I can't say such a lie! So, in the future, children will be your most solid support. Look at me, if I didn't have Erlang's support, do you think that old man Fang Xuanling would not take a concubine now? Men are unreliable, and children are the lifeblood of life!"

Gao Yang and Chang Le were very embarrassed. No matter what their opinions were on this topic, they could not interrupt.

Mrs. Lu took Princess Changle's hand again and warned her earnestly, "Don't take the opinions of the outside world too seriously. You are the one who lives your life. What does it have to do with those idle people? As a mother, I can't interfere with what's going on between you and Erlang, but Your Highness must remember that no matter whether you live in the palace, become a monk, or marry into our family, it is your son who will ultimately decide your success or failure in life. Have more children. As long as one of them has a promising future, like Erlang, who would dare to gossip in front of you, who would dare to slander you in a sarcastic way?"

She was also tired. Erlang obviously had no intention of taking a concubine, so the task of expanding the family fell on these wives and concubines. She had to make them realize the benefits of having sons so that they would have more children.

Although there are selfish motives, the logic is definitely correct.

A mother is honored by her son. An excellent son is the most reliable support for a woman's life. Men are fickle and adorable. A woman will not distort the facts and deceive her daughter-in-law just because Erlang is her son.

Princess Changle had a ruddy complexion, bit her lips lightly, and nodded heavily.

Since you already have a son, why bother about having more?
Now that the bottom line has been broken, there is no so-called bottom line...

*****
[Time flies, years pass quickly, days pass by like a white horse passing by, looking back at the past, removing the cobwebs under the eaves and the moss beside the steps, it seems that not many traces are left... But plainness is always a kind of happiness. It may not be full of flowers and brocade, or it may not be earth-shattering and ambitious. In peace and joy, this life is enough. I wish my book friends a happy new year and a safe family. 】