Chapter 17 Painless Childbirth: Knowing Only the Mother, Not the Father

As Yuan Yan spoke, he pushed Lu Lingyue to the ground.

Knowing that arguing was useless, Lu Lingyue could only let Yuan Yan take what he wanted, biting her lip tightly to maintain her last shred of dignity, not wanting to make that sound.

However, Yuan Yan was unwilling to let him play dead, so he grabbed Lu Lingyue's chin and said coldly.

"say."

"Are you... determined to deliberately... humiliate me like this...? Ah!"

So when Hengwu returned after seeing the person off, she found that her young master's black hair was flowing down his back, his long, dark hair spread out like an ink painting, and she could vaguely see a corner of it from outside the door.

The continuous noises inside left Hengwu at a loss, making it difficult for her to enter.

Finally, when the noise stopped, Hengwu's legs were numb from standing outside the door, and then she saw His Highness the Prince of Yue stride out.

“Lu Lingyue, this is what punishment should be.”

"Since you don't want me to come, then I won't bother making a fool of myself. From today onwards, you may keep your gates closed. Unless someone invites me, I will not step into your courtyard again," Yuan Yan said coldly.

Upon hearing this, a hint of vulnerability flickered in Lu Lingyue's desolate eyes before she closed them.

...

After leaving the courtyard, Yuan Yan inquired with the system.

"By the way, system, we've been having sex so frequently lately, is there any way to avoid getting pregnant?"

The system was surprised: [No way, host! I thought you knew what you were doing, but it turns out you didn't...]

"Of course I know. But women in this world experience no pain or harm during childbirth. Since it doesn't damage my body, it doesn't matter to me whether I have children or not."

"Being in the royal family, having children involved in the succession struggle is relatively a good thing."

Yuan Yan said, "That's what I originally thought: let nature take its course, raise the child if I get pregnant, and it won't matter if I don't. But I've changed my mind now. Lu Lingyue is not worthy of having a child with me."

It turns out that women in this world are blessed by God; they don't show during childbirth, experience no pain or birth damage, can work normally during pregnancy, and their bodies even become stronger. They can give birth naturally in just six months.

Even more miraculously, women can sense the bloodline of a child and know which man the child was born to.

However, men lack this ability. If their wives are unwilling to disclose this information, they cannot know whether the child is their own.

Therefore, men in this world compete even more fiercely for the favor of their wives, hoping to gain her love and continue their bloodline.

【Yes, there are. In this world where women are revered, they've researched many things to make things convenient for women. There's even a special contraceptive soup for men, but it's meant to be drunk before intercourse… Host, you can have the imperial physician prescribe a few doses, and have Lu Lingyue drink it before each encounter.】

The system thought about it and figured that the original owner had never worried about such things, so Yuan Yan didn't know much about the matter of avoiding having children.

The system then retrieved the information and provided it to her.

“Speaking of childbirth, I have another question. Since only women can know which man’s blood the child they are carrying is with, why should they tell the man this?”

"For example, in the Phoenix Kingdom, everyone knows that I was born to the Empress and the Imperial Noble, while the Prince of Qi was born to the Empress and the Phoenix Noble. Therefore, with the support of different fathers and nobles, the two of us are more fiercely competing for the throne than twin sisters, and we are bound to fight to the death."

"If that's the case, why must the biological fathers of the princesses be recorded instead of being kept secret?" Yuan Yan asked again.

【Well, this is a rule passed down from the royal family… Think about it, host. The royal family is different from ordinary families. In ordinary families, many children only know their mother and not their father. They don't have much family property, and the whole family works and lives together, so this doesn't really have any impact.】

However, this approach wouldn't work in the royal family. Who will inherit such a vast empire? Shouldn't there be a set of rules?

If the Empress does not reveal the biological fathers of her daughters, then the system of prioritizing the eldest legitimate daughter in succession will cease to exist.

[If we don't establish primogeniture and only use talent and virtue as the standard, talent and virtue are difficult to measure, and there's a lack of a unified standard for judgment, which could easily lead to internal strife... When the princesses grow up, the struggle for the throne will be fierce, the country will be in turmoil, and the nation may not be safe, just like on your planet Earth. Our ancestors must have considered this point, which is why they made this provision.]

"That's what the system said."

“But I don’t think so,” Yuan Yan shook his head.

"Knowing one's mother but not one's father, in my opinion, is definitely more beneficial than harmful. However, the old system you mentioned is indeed an obstacle... If I had the chance, I would really like to see what the result would be if it were actually implemented."

"That will probably have to wait until the host truly holds power. Until then, you should think about how to inherit the throne!"

Yuan Yan was thinking too deeply and too far ahead at this moment. The system couldn't help but pour some cold water on her enthusiasm.

[After all, you said it yourself, in the Phoenix Kingdom, the eldest daughter of the legitimate wife inherits the throne first. The eldest princess, Prince Qi Yuanjing, has all the advantages, and in principle, she is the rightful heir. You, being neither the eldest nor the legitimate wife, are at a disadvantage.] The system reminded her.

"So what? Judging from the Empress's intentions, she doesn't have any intention of making Yuan Jing the heir apparent right now, otherwise she would have made her the Crown Princess long ago... But even if she were made Crown Princess, it wouldn't matter. As long as Yuan Jing hasn't truly ascended the throne, all of us others will still have a chance."

"My mother has always been the one to mediate between me and Yuan Jing, isn't it because she doesn't want to relinquish power too early?"

"Using this advantage, it's still uncertain whether Yuan Jing or I will win," Yuan Yan said calmly.

[Alright, host, as long as you have a plan in mind, I'll just remind you that the final decision is up to you.] The system was convinced and quieted down.

Yuan Yan chatted with the system as she left the palace. Just then, a military officer invited her to a banquet, which Yuan Yan accepted.

"Didn't Your Highness just take a concubine? She's handsome and in the prime of her life, so why would she drink with us old folks?" a military officer joked at the banquet.

The news that Yuan Yan had taken Lu's daughter as his concubine by imperial decree spread throughout the court and the country the day after the bride was abducted. Although His Majesty had ordered that the matter not be discussed further, Yuan Yan's public abduction of the bride was so grand that those who needed to know still found out.

Basically, all the officials knew about the Lu family's son being married twice, and how the King of Yue, feeling humiliated, angrily snatched the bride.

Some corrupt officials in the court believed that Yuan Yan's actions violated social norms. Lady Lu was already on her way to marriage, so what harm was there in Yuan Yan, as the emperor's younger sister, giving the man to her elder sister? His act of kidnapping a bride in the street was too shocking and unconventional.

Some ministers felt that the Lu family had broken their promise and insulted the Lu family first, and they despised the Lu family's practice of marrying one son to two women.

Many military officers developed a much better impression of Yuan Yan, praising her behind her back as a strong, spirited woman who perfectly suited their tastes.

Such gossip was rampant, leaving Lu Yingkan deeply ashamed and indignant. The rest of the Lu family members serving in the court were too ashamed to face anyone these days, rushing back to their residences immediately after court sessions, avoiding conversation with their colleagues for fear of being brought up again.

Faced with her teasing, Yuan Yan simply smiled and said, "Being with men is nothing compared to drinking with you all."

The others laughed when they heard this.

"Your Highness is right. Men are all so fussy and hesitant, while women are much more straightforward."

"Come on, fill it up, fill it up!"

...

The inner courtyard of the Yue King's Palace.

"Young Master, His Highness went to the restaurant and hasn't returned to the manor all night. Do you think we should send a servant to inquire about it..." Hengwu subtly reminded Lu Lingyue.

A note from the author: