Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 446, life! born! born!

PS: This is a combined two-part, super medium-length, flexible chapter, 4800 words long, you know what I mean!
Mai-senpai has already explained why she is unwilling to have children.

As a practitioner of the Konohana Sakura-hime technique, Mai-senpai's inner world power and all her source of strength are stored in her uterus. Therefore, for Mai-senpai, her reproductive system itself already functions as the spiritual power system of her inner world. Thus, if she chooses to give birth, she will be unable to use her inner world power normally during her pregnancy, and childbirth will also cause her spiritual power to be greatly depleted and her strength to decline significantly.

This is absolutely unacceptable for someone like her who is accustomed to operating in the underworld.

Moreover, she didn't get to enjoy the limelight enough, and for all these reasons, she never considered having children.

"Um, Mai, although we both know what happened, isn't it a bit too hurtful for me to say this?" Uesugi Muneyuki knew the reason and that they had reached an agreement, but he still felt hurt by what his senior said.

"I'll hurt your head!" Senior Mai was both angry and amused. "Zong Xue, you know how I treat you. Who said I'm unwilling to have your child? But the current situation is just not right. After I become the new god, of course I would like us to have a child of our own who can inherit our abilities and my position as the head of the Kanto Shinto Church!"

"Regarding the issue of childbirth, it's not about not having children, but about slowing down, prioritizing quality, and having children in an orderly manner. It's about letting those who are capable have children first, and letting those who have children lead the way in having more children. We also need to consider each case individually."

Mai-senpai's attitude is very clear: she doesn't want to, and is not suitable for, having children under the current circumstances.

“This might be difficult, Grandpa.” Uesugi Muneyuki had no choice but to say to Uesugi Kuninori, “Mai… doesn’t want to have children, at least not in the near future.”

"Why???" Kuninori Uesugi frowned, puzzled. "This child can inherit the family name!"

“Grandpa, Mai said she’s willing to be my mistress, but… she doesn’t plan to have children for the time being, and we can’t force her.” Uesugi Muneyuki said with a wry smile, “Besides, Mai doesn’t necessarily need the main family name. Isn’t Uesugi Shrine a member of the Shrine Alliance? Would the main family force her?”

"Phew~~~" Uesugi Kuninori thought about it carefully and realized that it really was true!

Grandpa glared angrily at Uesugi Muneyuki, implying that it was all because of his incompetence! If he could subdue her completely, how could she refuse? He had utterly disgraced the family!
Come on, Grandpa, it's already an amazing achievement that she's willing to be my mistress! If we're talking about strength and influence, she crushes me in every way, okay? Uesugi Muneyuki also rolled his eyes at his grandfather, indicating that the main family isn't that strong either. This isn't the era of the shogunate, and we're not the shogun's family or a million-strong domain!

The grandfather and grandson remained silent.

Times have changed, my lord.

The surname Uesugi (actually a family name) is quite prestigious in Japan. For one thing, it's unclear whether the Yonezawa Uesugi clan belongs to the Minamoto, Taira, or Fujiwara clans.

If we trace the Uesugi clan from Uesugi Norifusa, the father-in-law of Ashikaga Takauji, the founder of the Muromachi Shogunate, to Uesugi Norimasa, the head of the Yamauchi Uesugi family, then they belong to the Fujiwara clan.

If we start counting from Nagao Kagetora (i.e., Uesugi Kenshin), Nagao Kagetora was a descendant of Nagao Tamekage, the deputy governor of Echigo Province, and belonged to the "Bando Hachihei clan," so they belonged to the Taira clan.

If we consider the current Yonezawa Uesugi clan, then after the sudden death of Uesugi Tsunakatsu, the third head of the Yonezawa Uesugi clan, Tsunanobu, who was only 2 years old at the time, was adopted as the last adopted son of Uesugi Tsunakatsu's sister Tomiko and Yoshio Kira of the Shogunate.

The Kira family, serving as a springboard for the Ashikaga clan and Tokugawa Ieyasu to elevate their own family status, was an indisputable prestigious branch of the Minamoto clan. If the main Ashikaga family, branch families, and other branches had all died out, the Kira family would have had a slight chance of inheriting the position of Shogun.

Of course, the Uesugi family tacitly avoided mentioning that the eighth lord, Uesugi Shigesada, had no heir. Therefore, they could only adopt their cousin, Matsusaburo (i.e., Uesugi Takayama), from their aunt, Zuiyoin, who had married into the Akizuki family of the Takanabe Domain in Kyushu, as their heir.

Therefore, the Uesugi family name is shared by all three clans, which is undoubtedly very prestigious (which is why Mrs. Watanabe suggested stealing the surname of Uesugi Muneyuki), but it was also very difficult.

There was no division of the family! The main family had two instances of extinction, forcing them to adopt children from the sister's and aunt's families to inherit the family line. Where would they have found extra offspring to develop a separate family?

Here, one has to admire Tokugawa Ieyasu.

The old tortoise had so many offspring that the Edo Shogunate was able to continue producing them.

The fourth shogun, Ietsuna, died out, and Tatebayashi Tokugawa succeeded him. The fifth shogun, Tsunayoshi, died out, and Kofu Tokugawa succeeded him. The seventh shogun, Ietsugu, died out, and Kii Tokugawa succeeded him. After that, the three noble families, Tayasu Tokugawa, Shimizu, and Hitotsubashi, succeeded him again. Finally, the main branch of Tokugawa Yoshimune's bloodline died out, and Mito Tokugawa succeeded him.

The current head of the Tokugawa family, Tokugawa Tsunetaka, had no children in the previous generation, but that didn't matter. The Tokugawa Gosanke, Gosankyō, and even the Jūjū Matsudaira branch family were still there. Tokugawa Tsunetaka was a child of the Aizu Matsudaira family, a branch family of Jūjū Matsudaira, who was brought in to inherit the main family.

The next generation of shogun's heir, Tokugawa Iehiro, also has no descendants, but no one is in a hurry, because there are a huge number of branch families who can raise children to inherit. After all, everyone is a descendant of Lord Ieyasu, and the meat will always be in the pot.

Lord Ieyasu, you were so great!

Unfortunately, the Uesugi family was not destined for this fate; they were all sexually frigid throughout the generations.

“Grandpa, don’t worry, my brother is only 27 years old this year, he’s still young…” Uesugi Muneyuki said tentatively.

“Yes, he’s still young! Yuken and Tomoko are still young! You! Yukimatsu Maru, you’re young too! Very young!!!” Uesugi Kuninori stared at his grandson with a mixture of pain and hope, utterly frustrated.

My eldest grandson might not be normal, but my youngest grandson is. Why didn't I observe him more closely before sending him away so hastily?
This is troublesome! It'll be difficult to get it back after it's been given away! Yukimatsu Maru is now a child of the Watanabe Uesugi family!

Moreover, Uesugi Muneyuki is not yet married to Watanabe Minami. Having a child out of wedlock is a huge scandal in Japan. It will be more than half a year before the two get married at the end of this year. Even if Minami gets pregnant immediately after the new year, the first child may not be a son. Even if it is a son, the eldest son will definitely be Watanabe Uesugi's. It will take more than three or four years to wait for the second child. The second child may not be a son. Even if it is a son, they will have to think of ways to get him...

How long will this take? Will I even live to hold my great-grandson?
Grandpa's eyes turned red as he thought about this; he never imagined things would turn out this way!

"You're all still young, but I'm already old! Cedar, please have some consideration for your grandfather!" Uesugi Kuninori said in a fit of exasperation, "When will I ever be able to hold my great-grandchild? The main family is about to face the crisis of extinction!"

"..." Uesugi Muneyuki looked at his grandfather, whose face was already flushed, and could only comfort the head of the family: "Grandpa, don't worry, calm down first. Well... it's not certain about my brother either. It's best to have my sister-in-law try a few more times to see what the problem is. You can find a doctor, and I'll ask my brother what the cause is, okay?"

“For now, this is all we can do.” Uesugi Kuninori stomped his foot heavily and sighed deeply. “But you also need to plan ahead. None of the heads of our family have been particularly capable, except for you… You, you… If Sentokumaru really can’t do it, you… you… you might as well… with your sister-in-law…”

Soyuki Uesugi: "?"

"???"

"ah???!!!"

Uesugi Muneyuki was stunned by his grandfather's words, which struck him like a thunderbolt, as if he had been hit on the head. He was so angry that his face turned ashen, and he stood up abruptly: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Grandpa, what's wrong with you!"

That old man!!!

What the hell do you take me for? Do you think I'm the kind of person who'd eat anything when hungry or wear anything when cold?
Those oval faces, small eyes, and big faces... they make me feel disgusted!
"I..." Uesugi Kuninori realized that his idea was a bit too outrageous. His old face was tense, and he could only use the dignity of the head of the family: "Then you think of a way! Either persuade Shirakawa, or find another woman of pure blood and good health, at least to have a child in preparation!" "Grandpa, you make it sound so easy..." Uesugi Muneyuki couldn't help but complain.

“Money is not a problem! Housing is not a problem! You won’t even need to help with the baby. I’m retiring soon, I have plenty of time! Your mother is also very free, we can hire a housekeeper if necessary!” Uesugi Kuninori emphasized, “In short, don’t pin your hopes on your brother yet, you need to be prepared!”

"The legacy of the Yonezawa Uesugi clan for nineteen generations, as well as the Uesugi clan over Watanabe's side, is all carried on your shoulders!"

Uesugi Muneyuki's lips twitched for a while, and he could only remain silent in silence.

It is our responsibility to carry on the family legacy.

Sure enough, after a while, Mai-senpai returned. Uesugi Kuninori mustered his hope and lowered his stance, hinting that he hoped she would bear an heir for the family.

“Well… Head of the Uesugi family, I respect you greatly, but regarding this matter, I’m not being modest. You should find someone else!” As expected, Shirakawa Mai smiled and directly rejected the Uesugi family head’s suggestion: “I currently have no plans to marry or have children. My energy is currently focused on my career and other matters, at least not for the next few years. As for what you’ve mentioned, I have no shortage of those things. I really like Muneyuki, and I’m willing to be his mistress, but please forgive me for refusing!”

Uesugi Muneyuki and Shirakawa Mai took their leave, leaving Uesugi Kuninori alone in his study office, remaining silent.

He was indeed old, and he no longer had the ability to force Shirakawa Mai.

And so, he silently crossed out Shirakawa Mai's name, and looking at the files of the remaining three women, the head of the Uesugi family felt uneasy no matter how he looked at them.

Brainless and uncultured lowly overseas descendants, lowly overseas descendants whose household registrations have all been wiped out, and lowly descendants who are divorced and not from prestigious families...

If you say I'm defying the heavens, then my little grandson is also a bit defying the heavens, how come he only finds such strange and weird people?
Grandpa looked at it again and again, and finally could only point his finger at Mikoto Ishihara.

Compared to the other two who had inferior overseas blood... she was still better off.

Well, we should wait a little while, at least until we figure out what's going on with Sentokumaru...

The head of the Uesugi family struggled, using all his strength to support himself on the edge of the desk, and shakily stood up. His body was terribly hunched, as if he had aged ten years in an instant. He hastily wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve, but the profound dishevelment and despair could not be erased. He stared at the seal on the desk, a symbol of the family head's authority, then looked out the window at the twilight of the Uesugi mansion's rooftops in the Bunka-do district, a place that had once borne the glory and hopes passed down through generations.

Now, beneath this glory lies an unfillable void; the shadow of extinguished incense has never so vividly and coldly enveloped this ancient mansion.

On the way back, Uesugi Muneyuki, Shirakawa Mai, and Saito Asuka discussed the matter.

Live! Live! Live!
Uesugi Muneyuki couldn't help but complain that his family actually had a prestigious lineage to inherit, which made Mai-senpai and Saito Asuka burst into laughter.

"The declining birth rate is indeed a big problem." Asuka took the opportunity to show off her knowledge, and the girl said timidly, "I heard Yuuki-chan say that if a family earns five million yen a year, they can live comfortably in Tokyo. But if they have children, even if the parents' combined annual income is eight million yen, they are still quite strapped for cash!"

“Yes, Asuka is right.” Uesugi Muneyuki nodded.

Japan's aging population and declining birth rate are long-standing problems. In reality, let alone a family with an annual income of eight million yen, even families like Uesugi Muneyuki's with an annual income of 940 million yen and Minami's with an annual income of 730 million yen, if they seriously invest in education, there is no limit to how easily they could fall back into poverty.

Moreover, Japan faces a problem: after the brief postwar window of opportunity, Japan's social classes have become highly rigid, and wealth has become highly concentrated. Even if you go to great lengths to enroll your child in a private tutoring program costing 4 million yen a year to get them into the University of Tokyo, they will only be able to start with a job with a monthly salary of 300,000 yen. Meanwhile, working a full-time job at a convenience store in Japan can earn you around 200,000 yen a month. So, putting aside the point of such intense education, how long will it take to recoup the investment?
This is also a factor contributing to the further decline in the desire to have children among Japanese people after they realized that intensive, structured education was not very meaningful.

Open up!
It must be said that no matter how much Japan declines, it is still considered a moderately developed country. Its primary income distribution is decent, and its social income is spindle-shaped. An annual income of 600 million yen is considered middle class, and an annual income of 1000 million yen would be considered "affluent" in any survey.

Even so, according to a survey by UBS and PwC, the wealthiest 1% of Japan's population holds about 18%-20% of the wealth, and according to the 1% wealth concentration law, this portion of wealth has actually been permanently passed down to the upper class.

This is already a highly rigid society.

Of course, there are even more incredible examples, like in neighboring South Korea, where 1% of the population holds 38-43% of the total wealth of society.

If Japan's initial distribution of wealth is relatively good, and its society is spindle-shaped, then South Korea's situation is more complicated; South Korean society is shaped like the Chinese character "工" (gong).

Is it okay to slack off in Japan? Yes, it's fine, anyway, it won't be too bad.

Is it okay to give up in South Korea? No, because in an I-shaped society, if you don't work hard and compete internally, you won't be able to maintain your current position. Instead, you'll keep sliding down the "I" in the middle of the I-shape and into the abyss below.

So the Japanese are giving up and fading away, while the South Koreans are engaging in fierce infighting.

As a result, South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world, with an average of less than 1 child per woman of childbearing age, and 0.5 in the Seoul area. South Korea has also become a population superpower, with 50 million people in South Korea and more than 10 million overseas.

Leaving is for a better return!
Of course, some people might ask about China. To that, Uesugi Muneyuki can only say that the financial situation looks very good right now. As long as housing prices don't fall and maintain an annual growth rate of 15%-20% that exceeds debt interest, the future looks very bright!

"So, Zongxue-kun, you're going to become the head of both the Yonezawa Uesugi and Watanabe Uesugi clans?" Mai-senpai said with a half-smile. "When I heard your grandfather's request, I recited a line of poetry."

"Yonezawa Uesugi Danger"
The junior student carried both ends.
The family name must be protected. "

"Come on, it's too early to say. We don't even know what the problem is with my brother yet." Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head. "Maybe he just doesn't like his sister-in-law? For example, Tokugawa Iemitsu was unable to have normal sexual relations with women because of his early experiences, which made him averse to women and the smell of their cosmetics. Later, the Kōdai-in sent a maid dressed as a male page, who didn't wear any makeup, had a page hairstyle, and wore a side-attendant's outfit, so he treated her like a man and favored her. That's how Iemitsu slowly learned to be close to women and experience pleasure."

"Hahaha, I can vouch for it, it's true!" Mai-senpai was petite.

"Huh? Huh? Huh?" Asuka in the back seat was stunned by this little-known fact.

A thought suddenly popped into the girl's mind.

Mr. Uesugi, you never touch me!

So, if I dress up as maturely as Mai-neechan, Mikoto-neechan, or even that tall, fat woman, will Mr. Uesugi give me a second glance?

It seems like it's worth a try!

(End of this chapter)