Yes, having a son was her obsession, and he could understand that. But what would the son be for? To inherit the empire that his sister had built? Where would that leave Yaming?

Before saying such things, couldn’t she use her brain and think about the daughter who had sacrificed so much for her, who had almost chosen to marry into another family as a son-in-law, sacrificing her lifelong happiness for her mother?

If Yaming heard these words, how disheartened would she be?

“Think carefully about this matter. I’ve had some wine today and feel stifled. I’ll sleep in the study in the front courtyard.” With that, Ye Hongsheng opened the door and walked out.

In all their years of marriage, this was the first time Ye Hongsheng had stormed off, saying he would sleep in the study.

Madam Yin sat there in a daze for quite a while before she couldn’t help but burst into tears.

The serving girl on night duty vaguely heard the couple arguing, followed by the Second Master leaving in anger, leaving the Second Mistress crying alone in the room. This had never happened before.

She was startled and hurriedly went to the servants’ quarters to quietly tell Old Nurse Bai about the situation.

Old Nurse Bai was elderly and no longer served night duties. She was already lying in bed, preparing to sleep.

Hearing that the master and mistress had quarreled and the master had gone to the study, she knew the situation was serious. Second Master had an extremely good temper; when the mistress threw small tantrums, he would either soothe her gently or at most ignore her. He would never quarrel with the mistress.

She immediately got dressed and went to the main room.

“Mother!” Madam Yin had a belly full of grievances to pour out. Seeing Old Nurse Bai arrive, she took her hand and burst into another round of tears.

Old Nurse Bai let her cry. After her crying subsided, she asked about the cause of the quarrel.

Madam Yin recounted the matter. Of course, she omitted Lu Guanyi’s name, only referring to him as the future son-in-law.

After hearing Madam Yin’s account, Old Nurse Bai was also at a loss for words.

Other men might be pleased to hear their wives desperately wanting to bear them sons, but Ye Hongsheng was different. After his eldest daughter had worked so hard to fight for face, status, and property for the second branch, Ye Hongsheng, who already loved his daughter dearly, was extremely distressed for her.

At this time, for Madam Yin to suddenly talk about having a son, and even asking Ye Yaming’s fiancé to request a doctor, this would not only dishearten Ye Yaming but also infuriate Ye Hongsheng.

As a servant, Old Nurse Bai naturally had to choose the politically correct stance. In this household, whether it was the current family head Ye Chongming, the successor Ye Yaming, or the man of the second branch Ye Hongsheng, Old Nurse Bai felt that none of them would want Madam Yin to have another son and disrupt the stability the Ye family had finally achieved.

So her task was to persuade Madam Yin to abandon the idea of having a son.

But as a servant, she couldn’t reprimand Madam Yin like Ye Hongsheng, telling her that her thinking was wrong.

She instructed patiently: “Mistress, may this old servant ask, why do you want to have a son?”

Madam Yin was taken aback by her question, raising her tear-stained eyes in confusion: “Huh?” Was this question even necessary?

“Let me ask differently, Mistress. You’ve always wanted to have a son, but for what purpose?”

“For what purpose?” Madam Yin collected her thoughts and answered, “Without a son, everyone looks down on me; without a son in the second branch, there’s no one to uphold the household…”

As she continued, her voice grew softer.

Old Nurse Bai could tell she had begun to realize the point of this question.

“Today, even the First Mistress’s family flatters you; the Prefect treats your brother differently. Currently, in the household, who dares not to give you face? The first reason you mentioned no longer exists.”

“As for the second reason, the Third Miss has supported the entire Ye family, so how could she not support the second branch?”

Madam Yin knew that Old Nurse Bai made sense, but to prove she wasn’t wrong, she muttered, “But she will eventually marry out. Her children won’t bear the Ye surname.”

“What does it matter if she marries out? What does it matter if they don’t bear the Ye surname? If the Old Master can make her the family head and isn’t worried about resources flowing to outsiders, what are you concerned about?”

“Moreover, this vast family fortune was earned by the Third Miss. Even if all these assets were given to the Third Miss’s children, so what? You can see how the Third Miss treats the Second Miss. No matter what, she won’t neglect the expenses for you, the master, and the Fourth Miss.”

“If you’re truly worried that after you both pass away, there will be no one to maintain your ancestral tablets, then at that time, you can have the Third Miss adopt a child from the Eldest Young Master, Second Young Master, or Third Young Master to be your grandson. Give him some property, and I’m sure they would be very willing.”

“Mistress,” she sat down in front of Madam Yin, holding her hands earnestly, “you’re nearly forty. Having a child now is not only bad for your health but also dangerous.”

“Think about it, your good days are still ahead. When the Third Miss marries into a noble family in the capital and controls the entire Ye family, everyone will have to listen to her and watch her mood. Everyone will have to flatter you—how glorious is that? Could a son bring you such glory?”

Madam Yin stared blankly at Old Nurse Bai.

She truly hadn’t thought about these issues.

“But if you risk your life to have a son, what if something goes wrong? Think about what would happen after. The Second Master isn’t yet forty; he would have to remarry, wouldn’t he? Would his new wife mistreat the Fourth Miss? Would she have sons? If she did, would she try to harm the Third Miss so her son could inherit the family property?”

Madam Yin broke out in a cold sweat at Old Nurse Bai’s words.

Old Nurse Bai knew that she had said enough. Saying more would only provoke resentment.

She poured a cup of calming tea for Madam Yin: “Drink this cup of tea and then sleep. There’s no rush; think about it slowly. Don’t worry about the master. Men occasionally get angry; it’s normal. Once you’ve made up your mind, talk to him again. If you’re determined to have a son, you can communicate with the master gradually. The master has always been considerate toward you; he should understand your feelings.”

Madam Yin held the tea, nodding mechanically.

After drinking the tea, she lay down on the bed and closed her eyes. After Old Nurse Bai tucked her in, blew out the lamp, and left, her eyes opened again.

She carefully considered what Ye Hongsheng and Old Nurse Bai had said to her. After a long while, her furrowed brow relaxed. Whether it was the calming tea taking effect or not, drowsiness overtook her, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, when she woke, the sky was already bright. She quickly called for her maid, finished washing up, and without time for breakfast, went to the front courtyard.

Ye Hongsheng was still pondering how to proceed that day when he saw Madam Yin enter with her head lowered, saying softly, “My husband, I thought it through last night. I’ve decided not to have a son.”

Ye Hongsheng’s brow remained furrowed as he asked, “May I ask how you came to this understanding?”

Madam Yin was an honest person and candidly related all the advice Old Nurse Bai had given her the previous night to Ye Hongsheng.

Only then did Ye Hongsheng’s brow relax. He patted the chair beside him and said, “Sit.” Then he turned to instruct the servant, “Bring the mistress’s and my breakfast here.”

The maid bowed and quickly withdrew.

Ye Hongsheng then took Madam Yin’s hand and said gently, “Your ability to listen to advice and understand this principle shows you’re a sensible person. Rest assured, in the future, we will support each other as husband and wife, and I won’t let you suffer. If you’re worried about having no descendants, just as Old Nurse Bai said, we can have Yaming adopt a grandson for us. In the future, you should just enjoy your blessings.”

Madam Yin nodded docilely.