Chapter 1614: Chapter 1614: Ruthless? Clear-headed

Song Zhiyuan mentioned his only son, and Niu Pan’er was startled. She glanced at Song Zhiyu, who was acting like an invisible man beside her, but he quickly regained his composure and looked towards the head of the family.

Niu Pan’er: "..."

A son is the true love, isn’t it?

Song Zhiyuan looked at the two of them and said, "The ancestors planted trees, all for the foundation and shade of their descendants. To say something unpleasant, no matter how large the influence of Prince Dingbei’s Mansion, without an heir, what is the point of fighting and guarding it to the death? In the past, there was only you, Commandery Princess; now, there is Shen’er. Even you, Commandery Princess, must admit that Shen’er is the stabilizing force of the Niu Family Army."

It’s not that he belittles women, nor does he look down on Niu Pan’er’s status. Rather, it is the way of the world: no matter how strong a woman is, in the eyes of most men, she is still not equal to a man.

The Niu Family Army once viewed Niu Pan’er as the next successor, but that was due to lack of choice. Even if they had chosen her, they would not have been thoroughly committed. But Niu Shen is different; he’s a boy. As long as he’s raised well, he’ll become the pillar of the Niu Family.

Don’t talk about prejudice; this is reality.

But even so, Niu Shen is still a young child, at least ten years away from maturity.

Thus, what Prince Dingbei’s Mansion lacks is not power, but time. As long as they preserve their foundational strength within these ten years, once Niu Shen matures, the mansion will have successors, ensuring prosperity for another twenty or thirty years, provided young Niu Shen strives to meet expectations.

Niu Pan’er listened to Song Zhiyuan’s words and wasn’t angry; she understood. A woman is ultimately limited by her gender; she realized this many years ago. Though there was once resentment, she has long accepted it.

In fact, if Niu Honghong were already of age now, she wouldn’t have taken on this heavy burden. But he’s not, so she must provide shelter for this sapling against the wind and rain.

"Uncle, I understand. That’s why Father will personally raise Shen’er when he returns."

Song Zhiyuan nodded and said, "Your primary task in returning to the Northeast is to preserve the foundational strength of the mansion. As for other matters, if they are divided up, it’s not a big deal. You must believe that the Emperor’s aim is to weaken the mansion’s power and balance it, not to raise another fierce tiger to suppress Prince Dingbei’s Mansion. If some people go too far, there’s no need for the mansion to act; the Emperor will handle it himself."

Niu Pan’er exhaled deeply and said, "I understand, thank you for your guidance, Uncle."

Song Zhiyuan waved his hand and said, "Always remember to grasp these ten years well, focusing on raising Shen’er. Keep in mind, without an excellent heir, no matter how vigilantly you guard it, the vast family estate will eventually be squandered and dispersed."

Niu Pan’er nodded firmly.

"There’s one more thing." Song Zhiyuan glanced at Song Zhiyu and said, "The military and political families are too closely connected, which is a major taboo in the eyes of the Emperor. Since the Commandery Princess is returning to the Northeast, when the Prince returns, you, the Fourth, should go to the Northeast to reunite with the Commandery Princess. From then on, you must remember that Prince Dingbei’s Mansion is your home, your root, including you, the Fourth. If future political views differ between the two families, maintain your respective views, even if it means harming the other side’s interests."

Song Zhiyu was suddenly shocked, looking at Song Zhiyuan; was this implying his exclusion from the family?

"You, the Fourth, will always be a child of the Song Family; your name will always be in the Song Family genealogy. But you’ve become the son-in-law of the Prince Mansion, you have your own small family, and a son. For the rest of your life, your main priority should be your own family."

It’s not that he’s being ruthless, but rather protecting both families, even if they end up as adversaries.

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