After the peach blossoms had fallen, the bare branches intertwined, creating sparse shadows in the light. Xie Xun noticed that Fengyu wanted to say something as she spoke of the upbringing of women from noble families. Fengyu had a habit—when she wanted to discuss something important, she would first test the waters, speaking indirectly, leaving hints that concealed her true intent—put simply, her words often carried deeper meanings. If she were speaking with Xie Jue, the communication might have been smoother, as Xie Jue could easily grasp her underlying message. But Xie Xun was accustomed to Fengyu’s approach, waiting for her to provide a preamble first, then revealing her hints before finally expressing her true thoughts more plainly. He had always been the one guiding Fengyu in how to communicate with him. "While I was in Ningzhou, I kept to myself and didn’t stir up romantic entanglements. Why are we suddenly talking about concubines and multiple wives?" Under the peach blossom tree, there was a lounge chair placed. Xie Xun had originally been reclining on it, basking in the sun with a lazy demeanor. Now, he sat upright, looking at Fengyu seriously—it must have been something significant. No wonder Ayu had seemed so preoccupied these past few days. She likely had wanted to talk with him for a while now, but refrained from doing so because of his severe injuries. "Men are always destined to have multiple wives and concubines eventually. While I was in Ningzhou, I heard you arranged for General Lin Min to be granted a concubine," Fengyu said, her hands resting on her knees anxiously, her fingers twisting the fabric of her skirt. Xie Xun lowered his gaze, his eyes falling on her restless motions, and his heart sank slightly. "General Lin is almost forty years old. His wife who endured difficult times with him experienced miscarriages twice while traveling with the army in her early years, leaving her unable to bear children. She personally came to me, pleading to arrange for her husband to take a concubine. I asked General Lin Min for his thoughts, and only after he agreed did I finalize the arrangements and act as their matchmaker." The concubine was a Ningzhou native, widowed for five years. Her husband had served in the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry Vanguard Camp and died in battle five years ago. After the deaths of Ningzhou soldiers, the widows would be granted a pension, and the Iron Cavalry Army provided yearly assistance to families in extreme need. Having lived alone for many years, the widow had received only one pension payment and supported herself through embroidery and weaving. Her reputation among neighbors was impeccable. In the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry camps, it was not uncommon for widows to remarry the comrades of their late husbands. Mrs. Lin had formed a strong friendship with this widow, and this marriage was a mutual agreement between the parties involved. Though officially titled a concubine, she was practically treated as an equal wife. Mrs. Lin wanted to find someone to marry General Lin primarily because she felt her physical health had deteriorated, making pregnancy difficult, and wished to ensure a lineage for her husband. Xie Xun remembered that before he was gravely injured by an arrow, General Lin Min’s second wife had already been three months pregnant. Mrs. Lin had been so delighted that she brought him a basket of red eggs. The trio’s wishes had ultimately been fulfilled. "I know." Fengyu had overheard the details while recovering from her injuries. General Lin Min had been rambling on about his family affairs, and Fengyu had caught snippets of the story by chance. Otherwise, no one would have dared to talk about family matters during an urgent wartime situation. Fengyu’s thoughts shifted toward the Marchioness. The Marchioness and Marquis Zhenbei fell in love at first sight, pledged their hearts at their second meeting, and had been devoted to each other as young lovers. Yet after giving birth to their eldest daughter, the Marchioness had failed to bear more children, forcing her to arrange for the Marquis to take concubines. Back then, Marquis Zhenbei Mansion had been left with only Marquis Zhenbei as the last male. It was impossible for the Xie family’s lineage to be severed. No matter how much she opposed it, she had to prioritize the continuation of their bloodline. Did the Marquis wish to take concubines? When he had been deeply in love with his wife, of course he had been unwilling to do so. Nonetheless, reality eventually compelled him to accept it, taking two concubines, leading to the births of Xie Zhang and Xie Jue. Perhaps, after the Marchioness bore two sons, her burden was lightened, her mind and body relaxed, and a few years later, she had Xie Xun. But she... was worse off than the Marchioness. From the very beginning, she had been condemned to a fate devoid of children. "Ayu, when I was young, anything I liked—I would latch onto it firmly and never let go. Zhuifeng is a spiritually attuned blood-sweating horse. I fancied him the moment I saw him at the stable. But Zhuifeng had originally been a gift from Fang Chuning to my second brother. He spent a long time training Zhuifeng, and Zhuifeng only obeyed Fang Chuning and my second brother. My pride wouldn’t let me accept that, so I bet with Fang Chuning and my second brother—if I could manage to tame Zhuifeng, he would become mine. To win the wager, I practically lived with Zhuifeng, eating and sleeping alongside him, taking him to Shaling River every day to gallop and jump obstacles. After two months, Zhuifeng finally accepted me." Xie Xun reminisced, his voice calm. From childhood to adulthood, the things he truly loved were few and far between. He had minimal material desires; his wants were incredibly modest. "Whenever I genuinely want something, it’s never on a whim. That year, when I took you riding out of town and confessed my feelings, I had thought it through carefully. I loved you and wanted to grow old with you. I also understood your character—you cannot tolerate even the smallest grain of sand in your eyes. So when I confessed my feelings, I never even considered the possibility of living the kind of life where I’d indulge in multiple wives and concubines." She and Xie Xun had loved each other for many years, and naturally, she knew Xie Xun was resolute. His devotion to the things and people he truly loved was unwavering and lifelong. Fengyu’s candidness had already laid everything bare, her feelings now impossible to hide any longer. "That day, Zhang Lingzheng examined your wounds and later told me that I was fated to have thin ties to offspring. Back when we were in Shun City, he told you these same words, didn’t he?" "...Yes." Xie Xun inwardly cursed Zhang Lingzheng fiercely. The secret he had kept for so many years was revealed the moment Zhang Lingzheng exposed it while he was unconscious. Ayu had always been greatly bothered by this matter. Knowing it now, how heartbroken would she be? No wonder she had seemed so worried these days, hesitant to speak, burdened heavily. "Ayu, I don’t mind." "But I do!" Fengyu lowered her gaze, her expression filled with sorrow. Her fingers trembled slightly, spasming with suppressed emotion. "You are destined to rule the world. How can you be without heirs?" Fengyu hadn’t wanted to discuss this matter at such a moment, but it weighed heavily on her heart, so much so that she couldn’t hold it back any longer. She had always been the kind of person who would break herself open completely before Xie Xun, revealing even her most flawed sides—as she did when Xie Xun confessed his feelings to her, she had insisted she wouldn’t live past the age of eighteen, resolutely stating: I am broken , so you should leave early and not waste your time. This issue was like a blade hanging over her head. Every moment of uncertainty, hesitation, every fleeting look of doubt in Xie Xun’s eyes, felt as though the blade descended inches closer, mercilessly severing the fragile thread of her affection. She knew bitterly that even if Xie Xun hesitated or wavered, even if he took concubines solely to continue the family line, his deepest love remained hers. That much was human nature, which Fengyu understood. Xie Xun had grown up in such a harmonious family environment, carrying the weight of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry on his shoulders. In the future, he would bear the hopes of Yanyang as well. Her inability to bear children was insignificant to him, just one small burden among many. She should be like the Marchioness, understanding like she did for the old Marquis, and give Xie Xun her support—instead of adding to his stress in the perilous world of the Capital City. Everyone was pressuring him; everyone looked to him with the expectation that he’d defy fate, rule the world, and fulfill their dreams. The weight he carried was already immense—she shouldn’t add to it. But she wasn’t like the Marchioness, a woman raised from childhood to be a perfect daughter-in-law. She was extreme, fragile, detached, pessimistic. She laid everything bare and looked at Xie Xun with despair as if unsure whether what she wanted wasn’t his hesitation or perhaps his commitment. It seemed neither of them was what she truly wanted. Xie Xun deeply wished to hold Fengyu in his arms and comfort her tenderly, but physically, since their souls had swapped, he couldn’t. Even though he wasn’t truly Fengyu in body, he could still deeply sense Fengyu’s anxiety and fear. "Ayu, why does such a matter affect you so profoundly?" "I don’t know either. I just feel so heartbroken." Fengyu’s aggrieved gaze met his. "I want everything to go your way. I really do... but I can’t make it happen." Xie Xun took her trembling hand, gently rubbing it to calm her. "When I loved you back then, I considered everything seriously—whether you might truly not make it past eighteen, and what I would do then. But even as I thought through it all meticulously, I couldn’t come up with any answers. In the end, it was nothing but pointless worrying. Life is uncertain; until the end, no one knows what might happen. What I need to focus on isn’t whether you’ll live to eighteen, but how to work toward making you healthy, so we can have a long, enduring life together. What I need to do is to make Ayu happy and carefree, instead of obsessing over gains and losses. Whether twenty years from now you’ll still be by my side, whether someday I’ll fall for someone else—that’s a far-off unknown. All I know for sure is that the Xie Xun who stands before you now does not care whether Ayu can bear children—he only wishes for Ayu to be healthy and joyful, by his side." "You truly don’t care about heirs?" Fengyu asked, still hesitant. "What if you regret it in the future?" For origınal chapters go to 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⟡𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦⟡𝘯𝘦𝘵 Xie Xun’s heart ached for her profoundly. Unable to embrace her directly, he instead stood up and sat in her lap, wrapping his arms around her neck tightly. Although this position felt slightly awkward, his deep compassion for Fengyu far outweighed any discomfort. Xie Xun kissed her cheek gently, his voice soft and reassuring. "Ayu, we were not born into this world solely to bear children or continue our lineage. There is love and sacrifice, and there is enjoyment and wonder. You love gold and jewels, you love watching snow and moonlight, you love the scent of flowers, and the beauty of rivers and mountains—these are what give meaning to your existence. You cherish your family, giving everything you have for them; we’ve met each other in this strange twist of fate, bonded in spirit, knowing and holding each other close. You are capable of love, capable of sacrifice, capable of enjoying your life—and that is more than enough."