Glory

"Yes, having a son is her obsession, he could understand that. But what would she have a son for? To inherit the empire his sister fought to build for him? Where would that leave Ming'er?

Before saying such things, couldn't she use her brain and think about her daughter who sacrificed so much for her, even nearly choosing a matrilocal marriage at the cost of her own lifelong happiness?

If Ming'er were to hear these words, how heartbroken would she be?

'You should think this through carefully. I've had some wine today and feel troubled, so I'll sleep in the study at the front courtyard.' With these words, Ye Hongsheng opened the door and left.

In all their years of marriage, this was the first time Ye Hongsheng had turned away so abruptly to sleep in the study.

Yin Shi sat there in a daze, and after a while, couldn't hold back her tears.

The maid on night duty faintly heard the couple arguing, followed by the Second Master storming off and the Second Mistress crying alone in the room—something that had never happened before.

Startled, she hurried to the servants' quarters and quietly reported the incident to Bai Momo.

Bai Momo, being older, no longer took night shifts and was already in bed preparing to sleep.

Hearing that the Master and Mistress had argued and the Master had gone to the study, she knew the matter was serious. The Second Master had an extremely good temper; even when the Mistress acted willful, he would at most ignore her if he didn't gently coax her. He would never argue with her.

She immediately dressed and went to the main room.

'Mommy,' Yin Shi, full of grievances and eager to confide, pulled at Bai Momo and burst into tears again.

Bai Momo let her cry until she calmed down before asking about the reason for the argument.

Yin Shi recounted the incident, of course omitting Lu Guanyi's name and only referring to him as the future son-in-law.

After hearing Yin Shi's account, Bai Momo was also left speechless.

Other men might be pleased to hear their wives desperately wanting to bear them a son, but Ye Hongsheng was different. After his eldest daughter had worked extremely hard to gain face, status, and family assets for the second branch, Ye Hongsheng, who already doted on his daughter, had reached the peak of heartache for her.

At this moment, Yin Shi suddenly declared she wanted a son and even asked Ye Yaming's fiancé to find a herbalist. This not only broke Ye Yaming's heart but also struck a raw nerve with Ye Hongsheng.

As a servant, Bai Momo naturally had to choose the politically correct stance. In this household, whether it was the current family head Ye Chongming, the successor family head Ye Yaming, or the male head of the second branch Ye Hongsheng, Bai Momo felt none of them wanted Yin Shi to have another son and disrupt the hard-won stability of Ye Jia.

So her task was to persuade Yin Shi to abandon the idea of having a son.

But as a servant, she couldn't blame Yin Shi like Ye Hongsheng did and say her thinking was wrong.

She patiently advised, 'Mistress, may this old servant ask why you want a son?'

Yin Shi was taken aback by the question, raising her tearful eyes in confusion, 'Huh?' Wasn't the answer obvious?

'Let me rephrase it. What is the purpose behind your constant desire to have a son?'

'Why?' Yin Shi collected her thoughts and replied, 'Without a son, everyone looks down on me; the second branch has no son, no one to uphold the household...'

Her voice trailed off towards the end.

Bai Momo could tell she had realized the purpose behind the question.

'Today, even the relatives of the First Mistress flattered you; the prefect treated your brother with special respect. Nowadays, in the household, who would dare not show you respect? The first reason you mentioned no longer exists.'"As for the second point, Third Miss has already shouldered the entire Ye family—how could she possibly fail to support the Second Branch's household?"

Yin Shi knew Bai Momo’s reasoning was sound, yet to justify her own stance, she muttered, "But she will eventually marry out. Her children won’t bear the Ye surname."

"What does it matter if she marries out? What does it matter if her children aren’t named Ye? Old Master Ye has already entrusted her with leading the family, unconcerned about 'letting benefits flow to outsiders.' Why should you worry?"

"Moreover, this vast family fortune was all earned by Third Miss. Even if all these assets were passed to her children, so what? Just look at how she treats Second Miss. No matter what, she would never shortchange you, Master, or Fourth Miss in terms of provisions."

"If you’re truly worried that after your passing, no one will tend to your and the Master’s ancestral offerings, you could ask Third Miss to adopt a child from the eldest, second, or third young master as your grandson. With some inheritance set aside for him, I’m sure they would be more than willing."

"Madam," Bai Momo sat down before Yin Shi, took her hand, and spoke earnestly, "You’re nearly forty. Having a child at this age not only harms your health but also poses great risks."

"Think about it—your best days are still ahead. Once Third Miss marries into nobility in the capital and commands the entire Ye family, everyone in the household will obey her and seek her favor. They will all flatter you—what greater honor could there be? Could a son of yours bring you such glory?"

Yin Shi stared blankly at Bai Momo. She had never considered these questions.

"But if you risk your life to bear a son and something goes wrong, think of what might happen afterward. The Second Master is not yet forty—he would surely remarry. Would his new wife mistreat Fourth Miss? Would she bear a son? And if she did, would she plot against Third Miss to secure the inheritance for her own child?"

Yin Shi broke into a cold sweat at Bai Momo’s words.

Bai Momo knew she had said enough. Pushing further would only breed resentment.

She poured a cup of Tranquility Tea for Yin Shi. "Drink this and rest for now. There’s no hurry—take your time to think it over. As for the Master, don’t worry. Men occasionally lose their temper—it’s only natural. Once you’ve made up your mind, speak with him then. If you truly wish for a son, discuss it gently with him over time. The Master has always been considerate toward you—I’m sure he will understand."

Yin Shi held the tea cup, nodded absently, and after drinking it, lay down and closed her eyes. Once Bai Momo had tucked her in, blown out the lamp, and left, Yin Shi’s eyes opened again.

She carefully pondered the words of Ye Hongsheng and Bai Momo. After a long while, the furrow in her brow eased. Whether it was the effect of the Tranquility Tea or not, drowsiness soon overcame her, and she fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, she woke to find the sun already high. Hastily calling her maid, she washed and dressed, skipping breakfast before hurrying to the front courtyard.

Ye Hongsheng was still deliberating his plans for the day when Yin Shi entered with lowered head and said softly, "Master, I’ve thought it through. I’ve decided not to try for a son."

Ye Hongsheng’s brow remained furrowed. "May I ask what led you to this decision?"

Yin Shi, being an honest person, faithfully recounted Bai Momo’s advice from the previous night.Ye Hongsheng's brows finally relaxed as he patted the adjacent chair and said, "Sit." Then he turned to instruct the servant, "Bring my wife's and my breakfast here."

The maid bowed and quickly withdrew.

Only then did Ye Hongsheng take Yin Shi's hand and speak gently, "Since you're willing to listen to advice and understand this reasoning, you're a sensible person. Rest assured, from now on we'll support each other as husband and wife, and I'll certainly not let you suffer. If you're worried about lacking an heir, just do as Mother Bai suggested—have Ming'er adopt a grandson for us. You can simply enjoy your life from now on."

Yin Shi nodded meekly.

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