Chapter 444

Early March, a certain day, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, restaurant Ginmeisu.

Inside the elegant and tranquil restaurant, Tokyo University professor Uesugi Kuninori sat on one side, Tokyo Cultural Exchange Hall director Uesugi Hironori and Uesugi Tomoko sat on the other side, the three of them enjoying delicious grilled Pacific saury and Sendai beef tongue teppanyaki.

Uesugi Hironori and his wife had finished everything on their plates, but only Uesugi Kuninori's plate still had a lot left; the old professor was fuming, and when the server came over to inquire, Uesugi Kuninori gestured to just clear it all away.

Faced with Uesugi Kuninori's expression, Uesugi Hironori felt a bit embarrassed, while Uesugi Tomoko laughed and teased: "Father-in-law, today's dishes are truly delicious!"

"Hmph~ Of course it is, this is the restaurant I joined as a member!" Uesugi Kuninori said coldly.

"How rude." Uesugi Tomoko and Uesugi Hironori exchanged a glance, knowing Uesugi Kuninori was a bit angry.

The reason is simple: although Uesugi Kuninori has a membership at this restaurant, today he came here on a whim to celebrate his lineal grandson Uesugi Sadanori's official appointment to the History Department of Tokyo University, intending to have a meal here.

As a result, the restaurant Ginmeisu told Uesugi Kuninori that because he had no reservation, there were no seats available today.

This really angered the head of the Yonezawa Uesugi family— I am a member! I have always had a seat whenever I came before, and the restaurant would rather open new seats than say such a thing!

However, this time Uesugi Kuninori was refused for the first time,

Such incidents have actually been occurring repeatedly since the beginning of this year.

With just one year left until Uesugi Kuninori's official retirement from Tokyo University, recently he has felt the stark reality of "when the person leaves, the tea grows cold" at Tokyo University— the department professors and university higher-ups no longer regard him as important as before; previously there was Uesugi Muneyuki's influence, but with Uesugi Muneyuki and Watanabe Minami's engagement confirmed and the decision to branch out, the old professor has felt his influence rapidly declining in recent years.

That would have been tolerable, but then Uesugi Kuninori happened to encounter Watanabe Eiji, the Superintendent General who came to Tokyo University on business; Watanabe Eiji heard about it and directly made a phone call, after which the restaurant immediately said, "Ah, we made a mistake, there are still seats!"

And since Watanabe Eiji had already greeted them, the in-laws' face could not be refused, so the family was still forced to come to the restaurant for a meal, and the result truly made the old man furious.

When the person leaves, the tea grows cold, when the person leaves, the tea grows cold!

Uesugi Hironori, on the other hand, didn't feel that way; he had already grown accustomed to being sheltered in his father's halo in his youth, and in old age, being sheltered in his younger son's halo; recently, the Cultural Exchange Hall's business has been thriving thanks to Uesugi Muneyuki— one annual event after another, concerts, parties, art appreciation sessions, all too busy to keep up with; plus, both his elder and younger sons successfully entered Tokyo University, Uesugi Hironori is feeling proud and elated, and seeing this, he proactively raised a cup to his father: "Father-in-law, don't look so grim, have a drink!"

" Uesugi Kuninori took a sip, his complexion slightly improved: "Although I do take care of this restaurant's business, I am not wanting them to discriminate, but this is still too excessive!"

"If Father-in-law doesn't like it, then we just won't come anymore." Uesugi Tomoko could only comfort him softly.

"Who doesn't like it? Who said they won't come anymore? I never said that!" Uesugi Kuninori was somewhat ashamed and angry.

As a member of the peerage and a Tokyo University professor, I demand dignity! Dignity!

After thinking, Uesugi Kuninori could only shift the topic: "Speaking of which, Chitokumaru has also been married for half a year— how come, no movement at all?"

"I am already 74 years old; if I die without holding a great-grandson, I—I have no face to face my Uesugi ancestors,

Kenshin Kō, Lord of Celebration, Hawk Mountain Lord, Uesugi Tsunakatsu!"

"You two, also go urge them a bit more!" Uesugi Kuninori stared at his son and daughter-in-law, gesturing that you also need to think of a solution!

"Well, this, Father-in-law, now is not the old era— what can we do?" Uesugi Hironori said somewhat embarrassedly: "You know Chitokumaru's personality too— he is immersed in archaeological work, comes home only one or two days a week, can't possibly— on the day he comes home, have the son listen outside the door?"

"Pfft!" This remark amused Uesugi Kuninori, the old professor coughed twice, quite awkwardly.

Uesugi Hironori was referring to a joke about the Edo Shogunate's shogun custom of "listening chamber."

This custom originated from the third shogun of the Edo Shogunate, Tokugawa Iemitsu, who was widely known to have been a male homosexual in his youth, and due to childhood play, caused a maid of the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, to become pregnant; Tokugawa Iemitsu's low-ranking servant had to step forward to take the blame, and the maid was executed to preserve his heir status, so Tokugawa Iemitsu thus developed a deep hatred and aversion toward women.

Tokugawa Iemitsu's principal wife, Omitaidokoro Lady Takatsukoshi Takako, married into the shogun's household and never shared a bed with Tokugawa Iemitsu for her entire life.

And only when Tokugawa Iemitsu reached thirty years of age, his bodily functions declined, and adding to that, Tokugawa Ieyasu's rule that if the shogun's line had no heir, it would be inherited by either the Owari Tokugawa family or the Kii Tokugawa family, did Tokugawa Iemitsu realize the trouble of having no heir and the cost to the shogunate position falling to a collateral branch, so he began striving to produce offspring, and the custom of "listening chamber" was born— meaning that when the shogun visits the principal wife or concubine, there will always be two attendants guarding outside the room, whose main duty is to confirm whether the shogun truly consummated the act.

This became a fixed rule; thereafter, no matter how much the shogun dislikes or strives, he cannot abolish the "listening chamber" tradition, as long as he visits a woman, there will definitely be someone responsible for listening within ten steps.

This is probably what is meant by "the emperor has no private affairs"— "but I really feel, Sadanori and them, they really do seem a bit strange, although very polite, but— aren't they being overly polite?" At this moment, Uesugi Tomoko interjected with a bewildering remark: "They don't seem like a married couple, but rather like— familiar strangers?

Look at Yukimatsumaru— he completely doesn't, the group of women around Yukimatsumaru, except for Asuka, I can tell at a glance that they have all been with Yukimatsumaru."

"Indeed." Uesugi Hironori nodded affirmatively, the fastest way for men and women to eliminate the sense of boundary and distance is just,

Not suitable for minors, with his gaze that time after visiting the sick in Kabukicho, he could immediately tell that each of those beautiful women had been with his son,

and the frequency is definitely not low.

The son and daughter-in-law's words made Uesugi Kuninori's doubts even greater, but as the head of the household, he could only temporarily suppress them.

The son and daughter-in-law are not in a hurry, since they are just over fifty, but he is anxious, he is anxious to the point of desperation!

If we don't have a child soon, don't have a child soon, do I have to wait until I retire, die, and then have one?

This this cannot! Now the eldest grandson and youngest grandson have both entered Tokyo University, my final wish in this life as an old man is to hold a great-grandson!

Thus, with a heart full of worries, Uesugi Kuninori returned home and found Uesugi Muneyuki's elder sister-in-law.

"Granddaughter-in-law, come with me for a moment, I have something to ask you."

"Yes. -

In the Uesugi family's Japanese-style room, eerily quiet, the seventy-four-year-old Uesugi Kuninori and the twenty-four-year-old daughter-in-law sat opposite each other, his withered fingers resting on his knees, joints slightly whitening, yet his gaze like a probe, straight and piercing toward the young woman kneeling with bowed head before him— his daughter-in-law.

They chatted about a few household matters, Uesugi Muneyuki's elder sister-in-law said everything was fine, said everything was her fault, said everything was that she was very satisfied with Uesugi Sadanori.

"Enough! Forget it, I'll just say it straight, half a year has passed." Uesugi Kuninori's voice was low and slow, each word like a carefully honed blade edge, "I am already in the twilight of my years, this Uesugi lineage, you should understand, is the heaviest stone weighing on my heart."

His throat moved once, he rarely showed a trace of near-begging fragility, "I only hope to be able to hold a great-grandson with my own hands— tell me, you and Sadanori, do you have any good news?"

The daughter-in-law lowered her head even further, beneath her black hair bun revealed a section of white, smooth, round neck, trembling slightly.

She placed her hands on her knees, gripping the kimono fabric tightly, her joints whitening from force, her voice as faint as a mosquito: "Grandfather-in-law" everything is fine, please don't... worry."

Her words drifted in the silent air, carrying an undisguisable emptiness.

"Good?" Uesugi Kuninori immediately detected the fragility and concealment within, his sharp gaze through the lenses, as if wanting to peel away this thin veil of concealment.

He slightly leaned forward, that belonging to a scholar's inquiry combined with the head of household's dignity forming an invisible pressure, sinking down heavily,

"Look at me when you speak! 'Good' is what exactly? I want to hear, not this vague comfort. Tell me, your 'good', where exactly does it lie?"

His questioning grew closer each time, like a rope being continually tightened.

The elder sister-in-law's breathing became rapid, her shoulders uncontrollably trembling slightly. She quickly glanced up to warn a glance at the grandfather-in-law's face, full of obsession and anxiety, then hastily looked away, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead.

"Grandfather-in-law" she spoke again, her voice already carrying a broken sob, each word like moving with difficulty on scorching charcoal, "Truly.... truly nothing— "

Not right! Indeed, something is not right!

I have lived 74 years! You damn well think I'm blind?

"Granddaughter-in-law!!!" Uesugi Kuninori suddenly raised his volume, his aged voice containing the thunderous anger of long-suppressed emotions bursting forth, his wrinkled hand heavily slammed on the small table beside him, shaking the delicate teacup on top to clink and rattle.

"Look at me! Tell me the truth! Is it that Sadanori he he has some physical issue? Or is it between you you, that there is some difficulty?" His cloudy eyes fixed firmly on her, that gaze burning with the near-desperate longing of an elderly person for the continuation of life.

That sharp shout was like a cold awl, instantly piercing the levee her sister-in-law had barely maintained, the accumulated grievance, shame, bewilderment, and unspoken pain of half a year finally breaking through her last defense. She suddenly raised her head, tears bursting forth like a breached flood, wildly rolling down her pale cheeks.

"No" she almost wailed, her voice shattered, carrying a kind of self-abandoning despair, "No, not—Grandfather Ancestor—there was nothing at all—He—Sadatake—" She drew a sharp breath, as if using all her strength to force out that utterly shameful fact from between her teeth.

"He hasn't touched me once in these six months since marriage!" The last words, as if draining all her remaining spirit, made her body tremble violently, her shoulders collapsing, leaving only suppressed, intermittent sobs echoing in the silent Japanese-style room.

Those thunderclap-like words, each one clearly striking Uesugi Kuninori's eardrums, then heavily hammering his heart.

Every expression on his face—dignity, anxiety, anticipation—one after another, completely solidified and shattered in that instant.

What???!!!!

Six months married, Chitokumaru, hasn't touched his wife?

How, how is this possible? Yukimatsumaru has five or six women around him, right?

How come it's Chitokumaru's turn—are these two really brothers? How can the difference be so great?

Wait, this isn't what we should be thinking about now!

Yukimatsumaru has already been sent away, if Chitokumaru here has a problem—he seemed to suddenly have all his supporting bones pulled out,

His whole body suddenly fell backward, heavily leaning against the cold wooden sofa, emitting a dull thud.

Then it's all over!