Chapter 46: The Issue of Heirs

"Let's go to Cuiyun Tower for a drink first," Wei Tu broke the silence.

He glanced at Wei Fei and said, "I've owed you a meal for a while now but never found the time to make it up to you. Today is our rest day, and I just got my salary not long ago…"

Whether Fu Zhizhou would uphold their pact, Wei Tu couldn’t say for sure. It would be a lie to claim he didn’t care. Having an ally in the bureaucracy of Southern Mountain Dao was always better than struggling alone.

But compared to Wei Fei, Wei Tu was confident that he could rise above in the next provincial martial examination and become a provincial martial graduate.

At that time, even if Fu Zhizhou chose not to help, he would still be able to escape Prefect He’s suppression and establish himself.

Even if their "Fourth Brother," who had the most potential, no longer helped them, he still had Wei Fei, his fellow county comrade. The two of them could support each other.

"Alright, Third Brother," Wei Fei said, the disappointment in his heart fading by half.

He chuckled, dressed casually, and walked toward Cuiyun Tower with Wei Tu.

During the two months they had served as officers in the county's garrison, Wei Tu, as the Military Commandant, had little interaction with the common soldiers and didn’t form any close bonds.

But Wei Fei was different—he was a Drill Instructor, responsible for leading military drills. He spent every day among the troops, drinking and chatting with them. In Qingmu County, few people didn't recognize Wei Fei.

Upon reaching Cuiyun Tower, Wei Tu spared no expense, spending seven qian of silver on a full banquet as thanks for Wei Fei’s generosity when they visited Jian Liang together to deliver gifts.

The table was filled with delicacies—braised sea cucumber, soy-braised pork knuckle, four-flavored meatballs, stir-fried kidney slices—all the best dishes.

There were also seasonal cold appetizers and fresh fruit.

Additionally, Wei Tu paid two qian of silver for a jug of Peach Blossom Brew, the best liquor available at Cuiyun Tower.

Wei Fei, seeing Wei Tu’s generosity, was overjoyed and thought even more highly of him. He felt that swearing brotherhood with Wei Tu had been the right choice.

After three rounds of drinks and five courses, Wei Fei, face flushed and tongue thick, slurred, "Even if I lose faith in First Brother Kou Liang and Fourth Brother Fu Zhizhou, I’ll always believe in you, Third Brother…"

With that, he threw an arm around Wei Tu’s shoulders and passed out at the table.

Wei Tu shook his head at those words, pried Wei Fei’s arm off, and, feeling the effects of the alcohol himself, rested his head beside him.

He understood that Fu Zhizhou’s success had, ironically, strengthened the bond between him and Wei Fei.

The two of them were the ones struggling together in adversity—it was natural for them to cling to each other for support.

Time passed.

In the blink of an eye, it was now the 25th year of Qing’an.

That New Year's Day, Wei Tu took Xinghua to visit Master Dan, instead of returning to Weijia Village.

During the six months Wei Tu had served as an officer, the clan elder of Weijia Village had sent people multiple times, hoping that he would "recognize his ancestors and return to his roots" by returning to the village for the ancestral worship ceremony.

But each time, Wei Tu had refused.

Years ago, when he left Weijia Village, he had been bitter about how neither he nor Xinghua were allowed into the ancestral hall.

But now, after coming this far, he had long let go of those grievances.

However, just because he had moved on didn’t mean he was foolish.

Wei Tu was well aware that the clan elder wanted him to return for one reason alone—his status as a government official.

They wanted to use him as leverage, hoping to gain some benefits for the clan.

Of course, he wasn’t heartless toward his father, Wei Bao.

Wei Tu sent his father a letter, inviting him to move in with him and live out his later years in comfort.

In this era, poor commoners had very few choices in life…

Wei Tu understood this very well.

He never resented Wei Bao for selling him to the Li Manor in those famine years, nor did he blame him for urging him to leave quickly when he returned home for a visit.

The first was to ensure his survival in those desperate times, and the latter was to protect him from humiliation in Weijia Village.

If not for the one tael of silver that Wei Bao had secretly stuffed into his hands back then, his redemption from servitude might have taken far longer than it did.

And that one tael of silver was nearly all of Wei Bao’s savings.

However, what Wei Tu hadn’t expected was that his father made a decision completely opposite to that of the clan elder.

Not only did Wei Bao not try to cling to him for power and status, but he instead took the initiative to cut ties with him.

Wei Bao sent word that he still had other sons to care for and that Wei Tu did not need to provide for him. He only asked that Wei Tu live well with Xinghua and send him some gifts during the holidays.

Seeing this, Wei Tu could only accept it.

He chose to respect his father’s wishes and simply sent seasonal gifts, clothing, and food each year.

Though his position as a Military Commandant now gave him some financial stability, he still had a debt to repay to Caixia—her money had covered Xinghua’s redemption fee and the purchase of their home, a sum that wasn’t insignificant.

With his current resources, providing for Wei Bao alone was manageable, but taking on the responsibility of raising his two younger brothers as well would be too much.

"Half-grown sons starve their fathers."

For that reason, since returning to Weijia Village was out of the question, Wei Tu instead brought Xinghua to Master Dan’s home for New Year’s greetings.

A teacher is like a father.

When Wei Tu left Changming Township the previous year, Master Dan had "lent" him a Qingcang horse worth a full hundred taels of silver. But in truth, it was no different from a gift.

Even after Wei Tu completed his martial examination, Master Dan never asked for it back.

"This time, the youngest daughter didn’t come. She’s probably still sulking over last year…"

Sitting in the main hall, Madam Dan Min looked at Dan Fang, Wei Tu, and Xinghua, and let out a quiet sigh.

Although she was displeased with her daughter's greed, now that Dan Fang wasn’t here to chatter incessantly by her side, she felt that something was missing.

Additionally, Dan Fang’s absence meant that she hadn’t brought along her son, the family’s only grandson—Dan Yi Wu.

"Yan Gong, if things don’t work out, you should take a concubine. Your wife hasn’t given you a child in all these years, and this cannot continue…"

Madam Dan Min shifted her gaze to Dan Yan Gong, who stood stiffly to the side, frowning as she spoke.

When they were in Qingfeng Prefecture, she had refrained from saying such things out of respect for his wife.

But now that they were back in Sanyuan Township, she had no such reservations.

"Mother, about this matter…" Dan Yan Gong hesitated.

"Listen to me. In a few days, I’ll find a suitable match here in Sanyuan Township and arrange a marriage for you," Madam Dan Min said decisively.

Hearing this, Dan Yan Gong sighed. Unable to argue, he silently accepted the decision.

Lacking an heir was one of the reasons he had always been at a disadvantage when dealing with Dan Fang.

"Brother Tu, shouldn't we also have a child soon?"

Beside him, Xinghua, seeing how the Dan family was handling the issue of heirs, suddenly grabbed Wei Tu’s wrist and whispered the question.

Wei Tu raised an eyebrow.

"Let's wait a few more years. There’s no rush for us," he said calmly.

Over the past six months, he had discussed the Xiantian Realm with Master Dan and learned even more about the mystical abilities of Xiantian martial masters.

Beyond their mental interrogation techniques, Xiantian warriors were also capable of helping unborn children undergo "Marrow Cleansing and Tendon Transformation."

A child born after such a process would have an extraordinary physique, making their martial cultivation progress several times faster than normal.

If possible, Wei Tu planned to wait until he reached the Xiantian Realm before considering having children.

He wouldn’t let himself grow old just to bury his own child.