The heavens set sail from the courtyard

Wang Yi is three years older than Wang Gang. He is twenty-five this year, which should be the prime of his life. However, Wang Gang discovered that after not seeing his elder brother for three years, he looked like he had aged by ten years. Although he was in his twenties, he looked like he was in his thirties or forties.

Wang Kang married into the Wang family at the age of sixteen and gave birth to their eldest son Wang Yi a year later. Perhaps because he was too young, Wang Yi was born weak and sickly, and many doctors said that he would not live past thirty.

Because of his weak health, Wang Yi was neither good at literature nor martial arts since childhood. Fortunately, the Wang family was rich and it didn't matter if they supported him.

Later, when Wang Gang was born, he was not only healthy but also talented in both civil and military affairs. He was loved by his father Wang Du, who early on decided on his position as heir.

But because of this, Wang Yi was even more neglected. At the age of 18, his family arranged for him to marry Han, the daughter of a merchant.

After Han came into the family, the couple lived in harmony in the early days. However, in the following years, Han had no children, and problems began to arise in their relationship.

Later, Wang Kang spent a lot of money to invite the imperial physician to take Han's pulse. The imperial physician said that Han was in good health. On the contrary, Wang Yi was in poor health and had congenital deficiencies, so it would be difficult for him to have children.

This incident was a great blow to Wang Yi. From then on, he distanced himself from Han, became a dissolute person, and lingered in places of entertainment.

Wang Yi's health was already poor, and it got even worse after all this. He fell ill every other day, and it looked like he was overindulging himself. Han had tried to persuade him many times, but it completely destroyed the relationship between the couple.

Wang Kang thought that her eldest son would not live for many more years anyway, so she just let him go.

Wang Gang is well versed in medicine. Just by looking at his elder brother's face, he knew that he would not live for more than two years. If he did not control himself, his life would be in danger.

But there are some things that Wang Gang, as a younger brother, is not easy to say. In fact, the relationship between the predecessor Wang Gang and his elder brother was not very good, and the problem lies with Wang Yi.

Perhaps because he felt that his younger brother had taken away his parents' love, Wang Yi disliked Wang Gang since childhood. Later, Wang Gang became a Jinshi, but Wang Yi became a good-for-nothing, and the relationship between the two brothers became even worse.

Although Wang Kang saw the situation and was worried, he had no good way to ease the relationship between the brothers. Besides, Wang Yi was destined to have a short life, so he stopped caring about him.

Little did he know that this only increased Wang Yi's resentment, and he later became desperate and stayed in brothels all day long.

When Wang Kang saw her eldest son, she felt uncomfortable, but she still let him and Han stay for dinner.

The family sat at the same dinner table. Wang Kang frequently picked food for Wang Gang and asked about his well-being, but she ignored her eldest son and his wife. The difference in treatment was so obvious that Wang Yi was very angry.

Han looked at her husband carefully, then said to Wang Gang: "Uncle, I have arranged for the maid to clean your courtyard early in the morning, and you can move in directly today."

Wang Gang put down his chopsticks and said formally: "Thank you, sister-in-law."

Han said: "I have selected a few young and capable maids to serve you. If you don't like them, you can change them."

"Huh?" Wang Gang asked in surprise: "Where is the person who served me?"

Han glanced at her husband Wang Yi and said cautiously, "It turns out that the two maids have reached the age to marry and have been sent out of the mansion."

Wang Gang saw the way Han stole glances at Wang Yi and felt that the matter was not that simple.

"Thank you, sister-in-law." Wang Gang decided to go back and ask his mother again.

Han heaved a sigh of relief, and Wang Kang continued, "Gang'er, you are twenty-two this year, right?"

Wang Gang nodded and said, "Mother, you want to talk about my marriage, right?"

Wang Kang said: "You have been engaged to the girl from the Chai family since you were young, and you should have gotten married three years ago, but the girl from the Chai family had to observe mourning, so it was delayed.

The three-year mourning period has passed, and you have been transferred back to Bianjing, so it’s time to get married.”

Wang Gang didn't say anything after hearing this, but Wang Yi paused and then started coughing violently.

"Cough cough cough."

Han quickly brought a glass of water and carefully fed Wang Yi to drink.

Wang Kang's face looked a little grim, and she said, "Yier, if you haven't recovered yet, go back and rest first."

Wang Yi coughed and said, "Mom, I'm much better now."

Wang Kang frowned, turned to Han and said, "Ask the servants to cook some sweet soup to clear away heat and moisten the lungs. The eldest son has loved sweet food since he was a child." Han said respectfully, "The kitchen has prepared the sweet soup. You can eat it after dinner."

Wang Kang nodded in satisfaction and said, "Okay, you have to take good care of the boss and don't let him go to that kind of place again. It's not good for his health."

Han's face turned pale and she stammered, not daring to answer.

Wang Kang sighed deeply. She was extremely disappointed with her eldest son and was thinking about her youngest son.

"Tomorrow I will ask Imperial Doctor Hua to check Yier again. He said at the beginning that it would be difficult for Yier to have children, but he did not say that he would definitely not have any."

Han's face became even paler, and Wang Yi's face also looked unhappy.

Having no heir has always been a pain for the couple, and Wang Kang chose to open up the scar in front of Wang Gang, which made Wang Yi feel very embarrassed.

Even Wang Gang felt that what his mother said was inappropriate, but after all, she was his elder, so Wang Gang didn't dare to remind her.

The meal ended in silence. Wang Kang kept Wang Gang and sent Wang Yi and Han away.

"Gang'er, you know your elder brother's health condition. I want to discuss something with you!" Wang Kang said to Wang Gang alone:
"If you have many children in the future, can you adopt a bastard son for your eldest brother?"

"Ah!" Wang Gang said in surprise.

Wang Kang's words contain three meanings. The first is that Wang Gang should get married and have children as soon as possible.

Second, it is not enough to have a wife, it is better to have concubines and have more children.

The third is to adopt a concubine's son to Wang Yi so that his family line will not be extinct.

Wang Kang sighed and said, "Years ago, Imperial Physician Hua examined your elder brother and said that he was suffering from a serious deficiency, which has only happened in the past two years.

Han is young, and if she doesn’t have a child, she won’t be able to survive once your elder brother leaves.”

Wang Gang said carefully: "If that's the case, it's better to let my sister-in-law leave."

The customs in the Northern Song Dynasty were not as strict as they were later, and it was not uncommon for a woman to remarry after her husband died.

Even normal divorces between couples are not uncommon.

Han was two years younger than Wang Yi, and it would be too cruel for her to be a widow her whole life.

Wang Kang said: "Your sister-in-law was born in a humble family. It is her luck and destiny to marry into the Wang family!"

Wang Gang felt a chill in his heart, and understood what his mother meant. He observed a few seconds of silence for his sister-in-law Han.

"When will you go to Kaifeng Prefecture to take up your post?" asked Wang Kang.

"The day after tomorrow." Wang Gang replied.

"That's great. I'll go to the Chai family tomorrow and settle the marriage first." Wang Kang said without hesitation.

Wang Gang said: "I'd better go to Chai's house tomorrow!"

Wang Kang asked: "Don't you want to marry the daughter of the Chai family?"

Wang Gang replied: "I have an old relationship with Chai An of the Chai family. I will visit a friend tomorrow and I would like to ask about the Chai family's attitude."

Wang Kang said, "That's fine. You must be tired after traveling all the way. Go back to the courtyard and rest first. If you are not satisfied with the maids assigned by your sister-in-law, transfer two from our courtyard first."

Wang Gang refused: "No, I'm used to being outside, and I'm not used to having too many people serving me."

Wang Kang said lovingly: "You are just talking nonsense." (End of this chapter)