Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

"rule?"

Chu Jinglan laughed in exasperation, pointing at Chu Sikong: "What a fine rule."

"According to the laws of the Great Chu, the practice of adopting multiple ancestors is solely for the purpose of continuing the family line, and is not done out of necessity! And you? In the dead of night, a lone man and a woman, disheveled!"

"You call this the rules? I think it's just cowardice!"

The word "mere survival" did not anger Chu Sikong.

He even shrank closer to Jiang Yining, like a frightened fox that needed its owner to comfort it.

"Big brother's words are really harsh."

Chu Sikong raised his hand, his fingertips gently brushing against the still-bleeding wound on his cheek, smearing the crimson stain onto his lips in a breathtakingly alluring gesture.

"My sister-in-law and I have paid our respects to heaven and earth and entered the bridal chamber; we are a legally married couple."

Chu Sikong's glassy eyes were full of provocation.

"you!"

Chu Jinglan was a military general. Even though he had learned to be patient in the imperial court, he could not tolerate the humiliation inflicted by his own younger brother.

With a sudden turn of the sword, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, it slashed straight at Chu Sikong's face.

If this sword strike lands, Chu Sikong's face will likely be ripped open on the spot.

Jiang Yining's pupils suddenly contracted.

Just as she was about to make a move, an old figure crashed in from outside the door like a cannonball.

"stop!!"

The voice was extremely harsh, with a broken, screaming quality.

Immediately afterwards, a figure rushed to the bedside and protected Chu Sikong tightly.

The sword stopped just half an inch away from that gray hair.

The aftershock of the sword energy shattered the silver hairpin in the old woman's hair.

His head of white hair fell down.

Chu Jinglan broke out in a cold sweat. He suddenly flipped his wrist, and the long sword crashed to the ground with a "clang," sending sparks flying everywhere.

"mother?!"

Chu Jinglan froze when he saw the old woman blocking Chu Sikong's way.

At this moment, Madam Chu's hair was disheveled, she was only wearing a thin undergarment, and she was even wearing only one shoe.

Clearly, they heard the commotion and rushed over without even having time to get dressed.

"Mother, what are you doing?"

Seeing his mother's protective look, Chu Jinglan felt a pang of bitterness in his heart: "Get out of my way! Today I'm going to teach this shameless beast a lesson!"

"Who are you going to lecture?"

Old Madam Chu's old eyes were filled with tears, revealing a ruthlessness she had never shown before.

"Do you want to teach Sikong a lesson? Or do you want to teach Ningning a lesson?"

"Are you going to punish this old woman too?"

Chu Jinglan choked on his words, his chest heaving violently: "Mother! Do you know what they're doing? They..."

"I know!"

Old Madam Chu interrupted him.

"I told them to do it!"

"The idea of ​​marrying into the family line was my idea! I forced Ningning to marry Sikong! If you want to kill me, come at me!"

Chu Jinglan looked at his mother in disbelief.

He took two steps back, as if he were seeing this person for the first time.

Why?

Chu Jinglan's voice was hoarse, her eyes filled with disappointment: "Mother, how could you... how could you do such a mess?"

"chaos?"

As Madam Chu smiled, tears began to stream down her face.

"Lan'er, news of your death in battle has arrived."

Old Madam Chu pointed outside, her voice trembling, "Those who used to fawn over us are all coming to collect debts! The Emperor is sending people overtly and covertly, just waiting to take back our Chu family's military power and drag us all down to the dust!"

"At that time, Sikong and I could only lie in bed and wait to die."

Chu Jinglan opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

He didn't know these things.

He survived countless near-death experiences on the frontier, believing that although his family was struggling, at least they had the government's support and ancestral property to rely on.

"You're dead! In everyone's eyes, you're dead!"

"Without its pillar, the Chu family is nothing but a piece of meat to be slaughtered!"

"That damned emperor is eyeing Ningning every day, trying to bring her into the palace to be his plaything!"

"If it weren't for Ningning's unwavering support..."

Old Madam Chu's tears flowed even more fiercely.

"She used her last bit of savings to buy medicine on the black market."

"It was also in order to preserve the last vestige of the Chu family's reputation that she went to great lengths and endured countless grievances."

Do you think she wanted to?

"A perfectly healthy young woman, not only is she burdened with guarding your dead man's memorial tablet, but she also has to take care of two sickly men, and on top of that, outsiders point fingers and say she's not virtuous!"

"I forced her to do it!"

The more Madam Chu spoke, the more agitated she became, her voice trembling.

"I knelt before her, begging her not to leave, begging her to save Sikong, to save this family!"

Chu Jinglan felt his head buzzing.

He always thought that Jiang Yining couldn't stand the loneliness and that Chu Sikong took advantage of the situation.

But now his mother tells him that this hat was something they put on themselves, with blood and tears, to save his family.

"Lan'er".

Madam Chu suddenly took two steps forward.

Before Chu Jinglan could react...

thump--!

A muffled thud.

Old Madam Chu's knees buckled, and she knelt straight down in front of Chu Jinglan.

"mother!!"

Chu Jinglan was shocked and hurriedly went to help him up.

Only a son kneels before his mother; how can a mother kneel before her son? This is to shorten his lifespan and destroy his heart!

"No matter what, it's all Mother's fault."

Chu's mother knelt on the ground, her forehead pressed against the bluestone bricks, her voice trembling and humble.

"It's your mother's fault for not being able to protect this family for you."

"And the Chu family... I'm so sorry, Ningning."

Old Madam Chu gripped Chu Jinglan's clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white, her voice shrill and mournful.

"Lan'er, if you want to blame someone, blame your mother for being greedy for life and afraid of death, blame your mother for wanting to leave an heir."

"But you can't blame Ningning, and you certainly can't blame Sikong."

"If you're going to kill, kill this old woman! Don't make things difficult for them... I beg you..."

Chu Jinglan's hand froze in mid-air.

This kneeling shattered his self-righteous anger.

If he were here, who would dare to bully the Chu family? Who would dare to pressure Jiang Yining?

Why would Sikong need to seek protection in this way?

Chu Jinglan felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out, leaving him feeling empty, with only the cold wind howling inside.

All that anger, jealousy, and resentment turned to ashes at that moment.

Chu Jinglan stood there, his tall figure now appearing hunched and defeated.

"mother……"

Chu Jinglan's knees buckled, and he knelt down as well.

This iron-willed general, who shed blood but not tears on the battlefield, now had tears in his eyes, and his back was hunched over like that of an old man in his twilight years.

"Son...I know I was wrong."

He lowered his head and his forehead slammed heavily against the ground.

Once, twice, three times.

Each blow was extremely hard, and blood quickly seeped from his forehead.

"Jinglan—"

Old Madam Chu hugged her eldest son and wept silently.

After the two had calmed down, Jiang Yining came over and helped Old Madam Chu up: "General, you can write me a letter of divorce."