Chapter 71: Zhang Jie: Could it be that I am the Crouching Dragon and Fledgling Phoenix myself?

However, in the Great Song, and indeed in all ancient worlds, there is a saying: "Of the three unfilial acts, having no descendants is the greatest."

The Zhang family of Liang Shan has been a single-line succession for three generations; the pressure on Pan Jinlian can be imagined.

It is possible that the loyal old steward Zhang Da had already given Pan Jinlian a hint.

"The matter of offspring is not yet urgent; we are both still young."

Zhang Jie comforted Pan Jinlian while deep in thought.

He is only nineteen this year; if he were to have a son now, after he overthrows the Great Song,

wouldn't that boy have to be the Crown Prince for decades?

"How can there be a forty-year Crown Prince in this world?"

Zhang Jie could not help but recall the complaints of the deposed Crown Prince Yinreng from the Kangxi era.

Having a child now would be too cruel to that boy.

"No, that's not right. Not only is there a forty-year Crown Prince, there is also a 'true' old Crown Prince who waited for 64 years."

Zhang Jie's increasingly powerful brain cells turned slightly,

and he thought of that unlucky fellow in a certain island nation across the ocean in the 21st century.

That's right, this unlucky fellow is Prince Charles of Great Britain, who encountered a mother with super-long standby time.

From the time he was named Prince of Wales (the special title for the heir to the Great Britain throne during their tenure) in 1958,

he did not inherit the throne until his mother, Elizabeth II, passed away on September 8, 2022.

One can only say it is thanks to the development of modern medicine; otherwise, he likely would not have lived to the day of his succession.

Yinreng: How can there be a forty-year Crown Prince in this world?

Charles: Forget it, I've been the Crown Prince for nearly seventy years...

"Young Master, Xiao Cui, who is the same age as me, is already a mother of two."

Faced with Zhang Jie's rhetoric, Pan Jinlian clearly did not agree.

Xiao Cui is Pan Jinlian's close friend, but she married at fifteen.

"This is a bit strange." Zhang Jie rubbed his chin.

He hasn't used any protective measures for the past few months, so why is there no movement in Pan Jinlian's belly?

"Jinlian, did you drink the anti-conception decoction before?"

Zhang Jie asked with some doubt.

This anti-conception decoction is the contraceptive of the ancient world,

but its effect is far inferior to modern industrial products, often leading to "fish slipping through the net."

"How could I? I have been careful every time."

Pan Jinlian shook her head.

She has been crazy about wanting a child; how could she drink anti-conception decoction?

"Hmm..."

"In my past life, I didn't marry or have children.

Although I have been divided into multiple parts in this life, the Zhang Jie of the Heaven-Dependent World, the Pirate World, and the Heavenly Dragon World are all virgins.

Calculating this way, is there a problem with the seed, or is there a problem with the soil?"

Zhang Jie fell into thought.

If a piece of diligently sown land cannot grow crops,

then it must be that either the land or the seed has a problem.

"It is even possible that both the seed and the land have problems."

Zhang Jie thought of an anecdote he saw before time-traveling:

A couple had been married for over a decade without children.

Because of this, their originally happy family was in a mess,

and both the man and woman blamed the other's body, wanting a divorce.

Later, under the persuasion of their family, both went for a check-up, and the result was completely unexpected:

The man's sperm naturally lacked activity, and the woman was congenitally infertile.

Now, the Crouching Dragon and the Fledgling Phoenix were gathered together;

the elder brother completely stopped criticizing the younger brother, as both were about the same.

It is said that they later adopted a child, and their life became much more harmonious...

Zhang Jie's cheap father in this life, Zhang Da, only had a son in his old age after fifty,

and by the time it reached him, it was already a single-line succession; from this, it can be seen that the offspring of the Yanggu Zhang family are not flourishing.

And Pan Jinlian's fertility also seems to have problems:

Ximen Qing was clearly able to let Li Pinger have two children in three years, and his legal wife Wu Yuelang could also get pregnant,

yet Pan Jinlian, who was the most favored and sang songs with him daily, had no movement in her belly.

"Damn, could it be that I am the Crouching Dragon and Fledgling Phoenix myself?"

Zhang Jie was startled by his own deduction.

"Forget it, there will be ways in the future."

Zhang Jie did not pay too much attention to this problem.

He already has hope for longevity and has enough time to solve this problem.

Even if there are no offspring in the short term, at worst, he will just work harder for a few more years and be the Emperor for a few more years.

"Tom, isn't this a great way for the Great Song to solve the imperial clan problem?"

Zhang Jie suddenly thought of this question.

Since ancient times, how to arrange the imperial clan has been a big problem for a dynasty.

In this regard, the Jianwen Emperor Zhu Yunwen of the Great Ming Dynasty had deep feelings.

Judy: "Great nephew, where are you?

Great nephew? I am your most respected Fourth Uncle!"

And the old Zhu family is worthy of the surname Zhu, with explosive fertility; in just over two hundred years,

they multiplied from one family into tens, or even millions of descendants.

Later generations have research showing that the descendants of the Great Ming Zhu family ate up at least half of the Great Ming's finances.

Although it cannot be said that the Great Ming perished entirely because of raising the Zhus, there was a partial reason.

And the Jin Dynasty, founded by a man who made the Luo River stink,

had the Eight Princes Rebellion which directly led to the tragedy of the Five Barbarians invading China.

However, the Great Song did not have so many worries:

Since the Taizong era, except for the outlier Song Huizong, other emperors mostly had difficulty with offspring.

Song Renzong did not have a son, so he did not appoint a Crown Prince for more than thirty years.

I don't know if a certain Prince Kang, Zhao Gou, had his "root of life" injured by his Jin Kingdom uncles, but he also had no sons,

and under duress, he passed the throne to the descendants of Taizu Zhao Kuangyin, namely Song Xiaozong.

And the Tang Dynasty had a very strong meaning of the Ottoman fratricidal succession law:

Tang Taizong's succession: exterminated all threatening sons and descendants of Li Yuan except for Li Shimin.

Tang Gaozong's succession: exterminated all threatening sons and descendants of Li Shimin except for Li Zhi.

Wu Zetian established Wu Zhou: exterminated all threatening sons and descendants of Li Zhi except for the ones she gave birth to; the Tang Dynasty was cleared out in one wave.

After Li Shimin launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident: believe in the wisdom of later generations.

Li Longji and others: The laws of the ancestors cannot be changed!

Hell joke: Li Yuan had no eldest son, Shimin had no elder brother.

Li Shimin and Zhu Di:

Raising an army: yes; cutting down the feudal lords: no.

Raising an army, yes; weakening the feudal lords, no.

Come is e, go is go.

Double kill inside Xuanwu Gate.

Real men never play succession systems; love your old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate (doge).

Wild history records that after Li Er killed the Crown Prince, he felt very guilty in his later years,

but thinking that he killed Yuanji along the way, he couldn't help but laugh happily.

There is also the cycle of the Tang Dynasty's capital falling-recapturing-falling in the late period,

where many died; after all, the emperor can run, but the imperial clan may not.

Finally, Doctor Huang Chao appeared: the Thousand-Grandson Courtyard and Hundred-Grandson Hall set up by the Tang Dynasty were all in the capital, but when Doctor Huang came, he cured them all to death.

The Qing Dynasty is even more interesting: it learned all the lessons of the Ming Dynasty.

The civil officials, eunuchs, remonstrating officials, and imperial clan, which were the most serious problems in the Ming Dynasty, were all solved,

but they forgot to manage the harem, and in the end, they had their peaches picked by the Empress Dowager Cixi, who served as the "Dear Father" of the Guangxu Emperor.

"Young Master, just take Po Xi; the Zhang family cannot be cut off in my hands."

While Zhang Jie was brainstorming, Pan Jinlian gritted her teeth and pleaded.

Faced with Pan Jinlian, who was filled with sorrow and determination,

Zhang Jie chose the simplest method: beat her again.

This is no longer the ordinary Pan Jinlian; he must deliver a heavy blow!

"Jinlian, let's continue."

His large hands began to make mischief, starting to outline the mountains and rivers.

"Young Master~"

Pan Jinlian hurriedly used her small hands to grab Zhang Jie's large hands that were making mischief.

The symphony, sometimes high-pitched and sometimes low, began to play again.

"This young man is truly full of vitality."

In the master bedroom, a high-pitched sound that could not be restrained reached the ears of Lady Wang, and she could not help but blush slightly.

Having been through it, how could she not know what Pan Jinlian and Zhang Jie were doing.

"My lady, why is your face red?"

At this time, Chen Wenyun, who had just returned from the kitchen after eating some late-night snacks, asked.

"My husband~"

Lady Wang said coquettishly.

"Uh..."

Seeing Lady Wang's posture, Chen Wenyun could not help but shiver.

"My lady, I still have some questions to check data for; why don't you sleep first?"

Chen Wenyun, who still had lingering fears, immediately wanted to use the evasion technique.

He was already over forty and had long lost worldly desires,

or rather, his heart was willing but his strength was lacking...

"Li'er and Yun'er are both asleep; my husband, let us also rest."

Lady Wang said soft words, but her hands did not stop, starting to undress Chen Wenyun.

"My husband, let us add a younger brother or sister for Li'er and the others."

Lady Wang pulled Chen Wenyun and walked toward the bed.

"Bitter!"

Chen Wenyun secretly cried out in bitterness, but could only walk toward the bed with stiff steps.

This desolate back view had a bit of the feeling of "The wind blows cold, the Yi River is cold; the brave man goes and never returns." ===== CHAPTER 72 =====

Chen Wenyun secretly groaned, but he could only walk toward the bed with stiff steps.

This desolate back view carried quite the feeling of "The wind blows cold, the Yi River is chill; the brave man goes forth, never to return."