When Yuan Xi heard the child crying, he was in a trance for a moment.
He suddenly felt that the world was so unreal that he wondered if everything about his rebirth was just a dream. The baby's cry was the ringing sound that brought him back to reality.
But after a while, when Yuan Xi's consciousness returned to his body, he found himself still standing in the middle of the yard. The sky and the earth were vast, and the chill of winter penetrated his body through his clothes, making him shiver. This feeling spread throughout his body, making him deeply feel everything that this world brought him.
Yuan Xi couldn't help but laugh.
Yes, worrying about gains and losses is a normal emotion. If you don't care at all, it would be abnormal.
Real life is full of helplessness and powerlessness. Even if it is a dream, it is better to keep dreaming. At least you can try to make this dream better.
He had just taken a step when he heard another burst of crying, causing him to stop suddenly.
Yuan Xi smiled bitterly. It was the first time he realized that sometimes when things came together, it was really a headache.
He thought about it and walked towards Zhen Mi's room.
Cai Zhaoji opened the door, Yuan Xi walked in, walked around several screen walls, and arrived at the inner room.
He stood far away by the bed, looking at the pale-faced Zhen Mi, who was looking at him with a forced smile. In the cradle beside her, the baby, who was wrinkled like a little old man, was crying loudly.
Cao Xian leaned closer and whispered, "It's a boy."
Yuan Xi let out a long sigh. This should be the first male in three generations of the Yuan family. This is good news for him and the Yuan family, but it is a bit heavy for the child.
He walked a few steps forward, leaned down, wiped his hands on his body, took Zhen Mi's sweaty hand, and whispered, "Madam, you have worked hard."
Zhen Mi forced a smile and said, "It's not hard. My husband should go and see Madam Wu."
Yuan Xi was startled, "How did Madam know that I hadn't gone yet?"
Zhen Mi smiled and shook her head, "Go ahead."
Yuan Xi glanced at the baby again, nodded slightly, and said to Zhen Mi, "Have a good rest."
In Madam Wu's room, it was Madam Du who opened the door. She lowered her voice and said, "Madam asked me to ask you if you have been to Madam Zhen's room?"
Seeing Yuan Xi nod, Madam Du then moved aside to let Yuan Xi in, and whispered, "It's... a boy."
Yuan Xi smiled and said, "It's the same over there."
Mrs. Du finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Yuan Xi thought that women were really thoughtful, but wasn't he the same?
After he went in, he found that Mrs. Wu was in better spirits than Zhen Mi, but the look in her eyes when she looked at him was a bit complicated.
An unusually loud cry came from the cradle beside him.
Yuan Xi went over and sat down beside the bed, comforting Mrs. Wu. Turning around, he found that Lu Lingqi was pale and looked frightened. He asked curiously, "What happened?"
Lu Lingqi patted her chest and said with lingering fear: "I was so scared. The head came out first."
"I'm so used to seeing cattle and sheep on the grassland that I thought the legs came out first."
When these words came out, even Mrs. Wu was amused. "Madam, you are funny and kind-hearted. I hope you will give birth to a baby soon."
Lu Lingqi waved her hands repeatedly, "No thanks, no thanks, I still want to go to the battlefield, it's so inconvenient to bring a child with me."
Everyone laughed. Yuan Xi felt both happy and worried. Having a new baby was certainly a happy event, but having two at the same time meant that he would be busy in the days to come.
In the following days, people came to congratulate him in an endless stream. Among them, the happiest were not only Yuan Xi, but also Guo Jia and his subordinates.
Guo Jia drank the warm wine leisurely, and two concubines behind him massaged his shoulders. Dong Shi, who was opposite him, saw that Guo Jia was already a little drunk and couldn't help but said, "It's early in the morning, my husband should drink less."
Guo Jia laughed and said, "You don't understand. I am very happy."
"It has been less than two years since you got married, and you already have two sons. This is extremely rare among the noble families."
"This also means that at least in terms of the next generation of heirs, you are already ahead of many people. This is no less than a strong medicine for many people who want to join you but are still waiting and watching."
"You are a man of both civil and military talents, but the thing I really inherited is your lust."
Mrs. Dong couldn't help but laugh, "My husband is bragging a little bit. There is only Guo Yi in the Guo family now. How could my husband have other children?"
Guo Jia choked, and Dong took the opportunity to say to the two concubines behind him: "You should always persuade your husband. How can he have children with you when he is always drinking so much?"
The two concubines looked at each other, smiled bitterly and agreed, thinking that it would be strange if Guo Jia was obedient, because in his eyes, wine was much more important than women.
At this time, a guard came in and said, "Someone has come from the envoy's mansion and asked you to go to the mansion to discuss matters."
After hearing this, Guo Jia drank the wine in his cup, then stood up lazily and said, "It's time for the young master to come to see me. I can guess what he wants to ask me."
"I'll go first."
Dong sent Guo Jia out, thinking that her husband had finally met someone who appreciated him. He would come to Guo Jia to discuss all matters, no matter how big or small, and their relationship could be said to be extremely close.
I just don't know how long this kind of life can last. Thinking of Guo Jia's physical condition, Dong's face became even more worried.
Guo Jia got off the carriage and saw Yuan Xi waiting in the yard, so he smiled and said, "Why, judging from your appearance, there must be more than one thing going on, right?"
Yuan Xi smiled and said, "Sir, you are really good at making random guesses."
He led Guo Jia inside and said, "Although it's a little early to say this, I still hope that you can be our two boys' mentor in the future."
Guo Jia heard this and said with a smile: "I am the chief priest, so it is my duty to be the teacher. However, this will take at least three or four years. Why are you in such a hurry?"
Yuan Xi sighed, "Isn't there one more thing?"
He took Guo Jia into the house and said, "I promised a marriage to Gongsun Zan's widow, Hou Shi, but now there are two men, and it's hard for me to choose."
After hearing this, Guo Jia laughed and said, "Is that all?"
"How can you be so shameless, young master? Just marry the Marquis' wife. It doesn't matter if you don't allow her to kiss you, right?"
Yuan Xi touched his nose awkwardly. "This behavior is too much like Cao Mengde. Let's talk about this separately, but I promised the marriage myself, and I don't want to break the contract."
Guo Jia pondered for a while and said, "From a utilitarian point of view, Madam Wu's child is more suitable."
"Mrs. Zhen's child is the eldest son. If they marry in the future, they can win the support of quite a few people."
"And the Marquis' wife has no power behind her. I still say that there is no need for marriage to incorporate the remaining forces of Gongsun Zan. However, since the young master insists, Gongsun Zan's daughter still gets the upper hand."
"At least he will have a stable support for the rest of his life. If you achieve great things in the future, you will be worthy of Gongsun Zan."
Yuan Xi smiled bitterly and said, "I just guessed that the master would say that."
"Sir, you are still as calm as ever when you think about things."
Guo Jia sneered, "Sir, don't take advantage of me. I am protecting them, mother and daughter!"
"Given their current lonely and helpless state, even if they become the emperor... princess in the future, will it be a good thing for them?"
"Without the support of their families, I'm afraid they wouldn't know how they died!"
After hearing this, Yuan Xi was surprised and asked, "Sir, what you said is a bit serious, isn't it?"
"When you talked to me about Empress Lü's misfortune, didn't you also say that the choice of empress should be someone without a family background?"
After hearing this, Guo Jia sneered and said, "Young Master, you only know one side of the story, but not the other. You know the result but not the reason."
"The one you are talking about is innocent, but Gongsun Zan is an enemy of the Yuan family. He killed many of Yuan's relatives and generals. The two sides have a grudge against each other."
"Now, in order to protect them and to recruit Gongsun Zan's forces, it is enough to use a concubine's son as a marriage partner, and they will be well protected in the future."
"Besides, if the illegitimate son marries Gongsun Zan's daughter, he won't have many people supporting him in the future, his power won't be too great, and he won't be a threat to the legitimate son."
"But the eldest son is different. There are too many interests involved. There are so many people watching covetously, especially for a man like you who was betrothed at birth. Who knows what will happen in the next ten years?"
"If the young master passes on the throne, or... well, the fight for the successor will definitely be complicated, and then Gongsun Zan's affairs will be brought up. Can you guarantee that someone will protect that mother and daughter?"
Yuan Xi was silent. He had to admit that Guo Jia saw through everything.
The eldest son is a gift but also a curse. Arranging a marriage too early will only make people feel uneasy and cause resentment to grow.
The best way is to put the matter of the eldest son on hold for the time being and wait until he comes of age. During this period, many aristocratic families will have hope and will be loyal to Yuan Xi, and may even compete with each other for favor and credit, thus promoting a positive atmosphere within the Youzhou Group.
To put it in a metaphor, it is the carrot in front of the donkey.
He had followed Guo Jia for a long time, so he didn't need Guo Jia to explain what he said, he understood it all by himself, and sighed, "I understand what you mean, sir."
He then smiled and said, "Since no daughter was born, it seems that Guo Yi's marriage cannot be promised to you for the time being."
Guo Jia smiled and said, "No, my boy is stupid and can't handle it."
"He doesn't have my ability. Getting involved in the young master's family affairs may not be a good thing for him, just like the mother and daughter of the Hou family."
"Then I'll find him an ordinary family and let him live a peaceful and stable life, and that'll be all."
Yuan Xi also laughed and bowed, saying, "Sir, you have helped me a lot. I really have no way to repay you."
As Guo Jia was leaving, he seemed to have thought of something and turned back to say, "Your Excellency may not be able to bring yourself to talk about the matter of the Marquis' wife, but I still have to say that Gongsun Zan has made too many enemies in Youzhou, and the only person who can protect the Marquis' wife at the moment is the title you have given me."
After seeing Guo Jia off, Yuan Xi sighed and thought that what he had thought at the beginning was a bit too simple.
He came to Zhen Mi's room. Zhen Mi had just finished feeding the baby and her forehead was still a little sweaty. Yuan Xi picked up the linen cloth in front of the bed and wiped it carefully, saying, "Mr. Yuan Hua and I have discussed that it is better to let the baby drink breast milk. Madam, please don't blame me."
Zhen Mi smiled and said, "When did my husband miss it?"
"Did anything come of the matter I mentioned the day before yesterday?"
Yuan Xi sighed, "I was just about to mention this to my wife."
He told Zhen Mi what Guo Jia said. After hearing it, she showed regret on her face. "What a pity. The Marquis's daughter is really cute. I was moved the first time I saw her. But in the end, I still couldn't win over Madam Wu."
Yuan Xi consoled him, "The eldest son is involved in too many things. We will slowly choose when the time comes. There will definitely be someone more suitable."
Zhen Mi nodded somewhat unwillingly and said mischievously, "My husband, please go find the two ladies."