From the moment she could remember, Su Tan'er had been emulating the ways of men, step by step. Her efforts were clear to many within the Su family. Despite a woman working so hard, most people called her restless or delusional, dreaming of becoming a Wu Zetian. However, from the time Su Tan'er finally began to manage the household, with each accomplishment and the immense power brought by the settlement of the Imperial Merchant affair, few in the Su family dared to dismiss her.

Since her return, she had remained silent in the Su household, yet the influence she subtly exerted surpassed even that of her father, Su Boyong. In ten or twenty years, the entire Su family might be under her control, a situation everyone could see.

Of course, some hidden aspects, such as the things Ning Yi had done and the levels he had reached, were beyond everyone's grasp. If he suddenly decided to turn the tables and seize power from Su Tan'er, it wasn't impossible, although nobody would be happy to see that happen. Or, before the elders above Su Tan'er had all died, and her eldest son had grown up with outstanding abilities, perhaps the family would prefer to see a male take the helm. But even with such possibilities, Su Tan'er's undeniable ability would ensure she became the Su family's empress dowager, ruling from behind the curtain for many years.

It could be said that, even now, Su Tan'er held the position of the Su family's head, at least in handling external affairs. Yet, despite this, many things remained beyond her reach. The clan head of the Su family was still Su Yu, and could only be Su Boyong, Su Zhongkan, and others. Revising the family tree, entering the ancestral hall, and maintaining the Su bloodline were things that, even with thirty more years of accumulated prestige, she could not interfere with due to her female status. This was a line she would likely never cross.

It was because of her current status that she could bring up the matter before her father, with a buffer provided by her mother's mediation. Even so, she was still rejected.

"I let your mother speak to me because you know she doesn't understand priorities... Are you not aware of what you're saying? What are we working for our whole lives, if not for the Su family! It's fine if you think your husband is good, I also think he's good, but there are some things you shouldn't even think about touching. If the first child is named Ning, what will the family think, what will outsiders think of us? A **Son-in-Law** riding on our heads? I know Li Heng is very capable, but he's a **Son-in-Law**, he's just a **Son-in-Law**. Letting Xiao Chan follow him is already causing gossip, saying you can't control him, and now you want to agree to the second child taking his name too... A **Son-in-Law** is just a **Son-in-Law**, he can't enter the ancestral hall in his entire life, what can you do about it, what can I do... What are you even thinking?"

Since his legs were crippled, Su Boyong's temper had become more volatile. Although he spoke to his daughter with his usual gentleness, one could still hear the suppressed anger in his words. Su Tan'er remained silent for a moment.

"Those people are just trying to make my husband and I suspicious of each other. I didn't act this time, but let's see who dares to gossip like that in the future!"

Even without seeing it, one could imagine Su Tan'er's expression must be stern. But for the other matters her father mentioned, she ultimately couldn't say much.

"Can you stop others from talking!"

"They are all useless, can't blame me for standing above them!"

"In any case, don't mention the first child taking the Ning name. If your grandfather hears it, he'll be furious! You know how good he is to Li Heng, but if you say something like that, what will he think? Don't even mention it!"

Su Boyong was a sensible man. He knew that if this matter were to be realized, it would ultimately have to be reported to Su Yu. His daughter came to him to persuade him first, layer by layer. Suppressing his anger, he first dispelled Su Tan'er's idea. Su Tan'er was silent for a long while, and said, "I understand, I'll think about it again."

"Don't overthink it, you're pregnant... Actually, a few days ago, your grandfather also discussed his matter with a few uncles. It wasn't mainly about what the child's surname would be, that's nothing to talk about. It was about ancestral rituals, whether he should be allowed to enter the ancestral hall in the future. But he didn't change his surname when he became a **Son-in-Law**, so he ultimately can't enter the ancestral hall. The elders didn't take it too seriously... Your husband is indeed a capable person, but you've already treated him well enough, no one can find fault with that. He... shouldn't overthink it either."

He said as such. In fact, with Ning Yi's increased status, others had already redefined him, and naturally couldn't treat him as a **Son-in-Law** of the past. A few days earlier, the Old Master had discussed this with several elders in the clan, whether to make an exception and let him enter the ancestral hall. This wasn't a real issue, it was casually brought up, and casually dismissed. So what if he had some connections outside? Although it was indeed a great help to the family now, even if he knew the Crown Prince, he would still have to abide by the clan rules.

This wasn't a case of the elders being arrogant, but the reality. Of course, Ning Yi didn't care, or rather, he was too lazy to care. Afterwards in the room, it was only some simple small talk, Ning Yi listened for a while, then jumped over the wall and left.

"Family ethics drama..." he murmured to himself, smiling as he went back. In this era, there were so few things to do for leisure, eavesdropping could become quite enjoyable.

When Tan'er returned, she didn't mention these things to him, discussing the name of the first boy, still thinking about a Su surname. Before things were settled, both husband and wife were discreet people. Only after going to bed that night, Su Tan'er said amusingly about the elders discussing Ning Yi a few days ago, "It seems, husband is causing them a headache."

"Just casual talk... Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Having a reputation, is that a good thing?"

Ning Yi looked at his wife lying beside him with a smile, reached out and scratched her nose, putting his other hand under his head, "Heh, don't have so many small thoughts. As for the name, I don't plan to change it. Su Yi doesn't sound as good as Ning Yi, it sounds weird, but it's not worth getting too angry about other people's opinions. If there's a real barrier in their hearts, do those elders think I won't be laughed at and looked down upon if I enter the Su family ancestral hall? It's all the same thing... Don't you think these things are interesting?"

"Interesting?" Su Tan'er blinked, a little hesitant.

"Gossip, family trifles, what these people say, what those people say, whether they hated and looked down on me from the beginning, or were obsequious later, the changes in these people's thoughts, the changes in their words, the changes in their attitudes, it's all very interesting. It's like watching a grand play, the mind of one person, the minds of a group of people, it seems fantastical, but when gathered together, there are traces to be found. Sometimes they scold you because they hate you, sometimes they scold you because they fear you, sometimes they scold you... even because they hate themselves. If you can understand these things, there's no difference between that and the principles of doing business..."

"Then... am I the same? Am I being watched by husband in the same way?"

"In the end... I know you like me." Ning Yi held her hand.

Su Tan'er looked at the top of the mosquito net, her face slightly hot. Even though they were somewhat of an old married couple, the expression of "like" was still a bit unfamiliar. Therefore, after a long while, she made a soft statement.

"...You are my husband."

Whether Su Tan'er was still working on the matter of the eldest son's surname in the following period was unknown. During the time spent with his family, Ning Yi also went to the academy once, but did not lecture. Xiao Qi and others came to the small courtyard to look for him several times, pestering him to tell stories about Hangzhou, but those stories were too inappropriate for children after all. In the end, he simply told the story of the White Snake Legend, combined with the scenery of Zhenjiang and Hangzhou. Then, not long after, the Little Princess Zhou Pei came to visit.

Since Ning Yi left Jiangning, the siblings Zhou Pei and Zhou Junwu had remained on the rolls at Yushan Academy, but had not attended classes here. Moreover, Zhou Pei had already reached the age of Ji, and what she needed to consider next was choosing a husband and discussing marriage. Being forbidden to attend classes at the academy. At this age, the girl was growing fast. Although they had only been apart for a year, the Little Princess now looked graceful and elegant, a young woman of marriageable age—although in Ning Yi's eyes, she was still just a greenhorn. However, this time when they met, after she carefully dressed up and pretended, she really had a different aura of a princess.

Zhou Pei came to him for her younger brother's matter, at least on the surface it was for this reason.

When Ning Yi left Jiangning last year, Zhou Junwu had already become fascinated by the study of things. Of course, no one knew how long a teenager's interest could last at the time. In fact, in Ning Yi's view, things like physics and chemistry were quite boring most of the time. For Zhou Junwu, of course, he also experienced such a period. However, with the continuous news of Ning Yi's deeds in Hangzhou, it was undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the current Little Prince. Master is so powerful, of course what he says is right, and he used a gunpowder array to defend against the enemy in Taiping Lane, causing Shi Bao, Liu Xigua and others to return in defeat. These deeds really made Zhou Junwu yearn for it.

So for the past six months, he had been studying gunpowder.

Recently, he almost blew up his face.

As a Little Prince, he might just eat, drink, and be merry for the rest of his life, and occasionally go out to do some bad things to oppress the good. This wasn't a big deal, and his father basically planned to do this for his son. But on Zhou Pei's side, she hoped that her younger brother could have a future, do something for the country and the people, and do something big. Who knew that her little brother would become a science geek, which made her very unhappy.

Although the recent near-face-blowing incident didn't disfigure the Little Prince, it accidentally burned off a lock of hair. His body and hair were given by his parents, and Kang Wang was furious and confined Junwu to the Prince's Mansion. The pressure on both sides made the Little Prince very uncomfortable, but Zhou Pei really cared about her brother, afraid that he would be depressed and cause trouble. Knowing that the one who tied the bell must untie it, she came to visit, hoping that Ning Yi would come forward to resolve her brother's knot.

This matter was reasonable. The visiting girl was graceful and dignified, which made Ning Yi amazed. However, after she finished talking about her brother's matter, Zhou Pei asked him about his plan to go to the capital soon, as if she was a little too enthusiastic... This feeling only flashed through Ning Yi's mind at the time, and disappeared in an instant...
(To be continued.) Vote for recommendations and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)

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