Chapter 918: Chapter 918: Why Not Strike When Threatened?
Actually, before coming here, Song Zhicheng was mentally prepared. If the eldest brother didnāt agree, he would plead and at least fulfill that pesky kidās wish. But unexpectedly, his eldest brother didnāt mind at all.
"Eldest brother, you are close to the emperor, and you would understand the imperial heart as well as, if not better, than us. As for Zhaoāer, donāt force anything, lest we lose the emperorās favor," Song Zhicheng said. "Compared to the glory and heritage of the family, an individualās thoughts donāt count for much. Without a family, where would dreams come from."
Song Zhiyuan felt comforted in his heart and said, "How could I joke about the family? Let Zhaoāer do as he wishes. However, since heās chosen such a proud path, letās see how far Song Huaijin, someone from a poor family, without the familyās help, can climb on his own. Are the members of the Song Family sparrows or eagles? Weāre going to find out."
Song Zhicheng felt inexplicably stirred.
"I understand, eldest brother," he said.
Song Zhiyuan looked at him and said, "Second brother, Suāer and Jieāer, in the future, they are bound to take over for me. But your part..."
The mundane affairs outside the home, such as business and covert tasks, certainly require reliable family members to take over. They will all grow old one day. Song Zhiyuan had his eye on his eldest son and nephews, but what about the second brotherās side?
There are only so many male descendants in the family, with two branches having already appointed successors. What about the third branch?
Song Zhiyuan thought of Song Lingzhou, who had fallen ill, and asked, "What about the third brotherās side, how is Zhouāer now?"
Song Zhicheng immediately perked up and said, "According to my wife, it has reached the outbreak phase, and itās being personally attended to by the third brotherās family without any mishaps, but we cannot relax yet."
He looked at Song Zhiyuan and asked, "Eldest brother, are you considering if Zhouāer is well-rounded?"
"Zhouāer has some talent for those minor arts and crafts."
Upon hearing this, Song Zhicheng said, "Although these may seem trivial to outsiders, if he truly has talent and can produce something good, he might still have a place to stand."
"Thatās why we still have too few males in the family," Song Zhiyuan lightly tapped the table and said, "But no matter, weāre still in our prime; in a couple of years, the children will start getting engaged, and we can have more. There will always be someone to carry on."
Song Zhicheng: "..."
Was this leap a bit too much?
Speaking of marriage, he pretended to be casual and said, "I heard from Mother before, that the eldest sister-in-lawās family is interested in another match with our family, for Jieāer. But Mother refused using the excuse that since Suāer is not yet engaged, it wouldnāt be proper for the younger nephews."
Song Zhiyuan frowned slightly and said, "The child is just fourteen, no need to rush. Let Jieāer participate next year and earn his merits first."
"Weāll follow your lead, eldest brother," Song Zhicheng immediately affirmed.
His mindset was always to follow his elder brother.
"Back to the matter at hand, pay more attention to the main family members within the household," Song Zhiyuan said. "That concubine Bai over at the third brotherās place, her background is somewhat unclear."
Song Zhicheng had heard about this issue, his eyes flashed with a hint of ruthlessness as he coldly said, "Eldest brother, as the saying goes, better to kill wrongly than to let go, if you think thereās something off, why not?"
He made a motion as if striking down with a knife.
Song Zhiyuan glanced at him and said, "Mother had a saying, kill one Bai and there will be two Chen or Zhang. The third brother has always been a bit muddle-headed, without concrete evidence, he might hold a grudge. Second brother, youāre aware, he always thought it was Mother who harmed his birth mother. Doing it again would only amplify his resentment. The most feared thing is a moment of confusion; when one is confused, they donāt know what they might end up doing, and even the tiger has its moment of dozing."
He was not pleased with matters that got out of hand over trivialities.