novelSusiti Chapter 39 Panic ensues, the plan to annul the engagement is launched!
Chapter 39 Panic ensues, the plan to annul the engagement is launched!
Chapter 39 Panic ensues, the plan to annul the engagement is launched!
Outside the sky, Wanchao Time and Space was plunged into unprecedented shock and debate because of Grandpa's statement that "close relatives cannot marry".
"What?! Close relatives can't marry?"
"This...this is impossible!"
"Throughout history, haven't royal families and powerful clans always intermarried to strengthen their ties?"
"Consanguineous marriage can produce children with problems? Ridiculous! I've never heard of that!"
"But those words were spoken by that old man in the celestial realm. Seeing how wondrous their world is, I'm afraid... I'm afraid it's not true, is it?"
The discussions surged like a tidal wave, spreading from the palace halls to the streets and alleys of the city.
The initial joy at the little princess's adorable appearance and modern life was instantly replaced by immense shock and confusion.
Chang'an, inside the imperial palace.
The smile on Li Shimin's face had vanished without a trace, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and deep doubt.
He suddenly looked at Empress Zhangsun, only to see that the empress was also pale and frowning, clearly shocked by this shocking information.
"Guanyinbi...this...close relatives cannot marry?" And...hereditary diseases? Li Shimin's voice trembled with disbelief. "These later sayings...must be true. Our Great Tang imperial family...throughout generations..."
Empress Zhangsun's heart was also in turmoil.
Born into a prestigious family, she knew all too well that marriages between cousins were extremely common among powerful clans to consolidate their power, especially among royalty.
If this is true... she dared not think too deeply about whether those young or weak offspring were related to this.
She tried to remain calm: "What the sky is showing, bizarre and fantastical, seems to have a reason. The old master of the Lu family spoke with absolute certainty, even mentioning a hereditary disease," which...sounds like it might not be entirely unfounded. This matter...conceals the foundation of the nation, the well-being of future generations; it's better to believe it's true than not!"
Li Lizhi, who had been envious of her younger sister's modern life, was now stunned and murmured, "Then...then my engagement with my cousin...?"
She instinctively looked at her parents.
Li Zhi was so frightened that his face turned pale. He was already nervous because of his father’s reprimand, and now this earth-shattering “taboo” made him even more at a loss.
In the imperial court, important officials such as Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji were all deeply disturbed.
There are many intermarriages within their family, so this news was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue.
Other dynasties under the same sky were also in an uproar.
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, frowned as he thought of his princes who had died young; Zhu Yuanzhang counted on his fingers, recalling the children of the Zhu family who had not grown up, and became increasingly alarmed; the heads of countless powerful families were even more uneasy, as intermarriage within the family was the key to maintaining power, and if this method harmed future generations... the consequences would be unimaginable.
Ming dynasty.
Zhu Yuanzhang paused, his teacup still in his hand, and asked Empress Ma beside him in a deep voice, "Sister, our Biao'er married a woman from the Chang family, this—" Empress Ma grasped his hand and whispered, "Chongba, the hereditary disease Tianmu mentioned seems to concern the health of our offspring. Let's wait and see."
The imperial medical bureaus of each dynasty were also in an uproar.
The imperial physicians engaged in debate and sought verification.
Zhang Zhongjing of the Eastern Han Dynasty seemed to be deep in thought, muttering to himself, "Are diseases easily transmitted among those with similar bloodlines?"
Sun Simiao of the Tang Dynasty, upon recalling the dementia that had been passed down through generations in some families, seemed to have gained some insight.
Above the canopy, in a modern guest room, the conversation continues.
The old man continued with a sigh, "Thank goodness for modern science. Otherwise, how many disabled children would there be in each generation...?"
son. "
My aunt continued, "The conditions for eugenics and good prenatal care are so much better now. In the past, which village didn't have a few idiots, tumors, deaf people, blind people, or mute people? Now, there are almost none."
"Yes, you rarely see ugly kids or short kids these days. The children of this new era are all healthy, smart, and beautiful!" Mom chimed in.
Boom! These words were clear and unambiguous, like a boulder thrown into the deep pool of time and space.
The discussions within the Imperial Medical Bureau of the Wanchao Dynasty intensified.
In Luoyang during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Zhongjing summoned a group of physicians to discuss all night: "The saying 'close relatives cannot marry' might be related to 'blood ties clash'? I've seen many children born to cousins suffer from weakness and frailty, which I initially thought was due to congenital deficiencies. Now I think it might be related to their close blood relations!"
He dug out the records about "fetal weakness" in the Treatise on Febrile Diseases and compared them with the imperial physicians one by one, trying to find evidence in the ancient book.
Inside the Imperial Medical Academy in Chang'an, Tang Dynasty, Sun Simiao stroked his beard, watching the Lu family's conversation on the screen above. Suddenly, he slammed his hand on the table: "I once treated a branch of the Li family from Longxi, three generations of whom suffered from weakness in their legs and were unable to walk. Their family was formed by cousins marrying into the same family! Could it be—"
He immediately ordered people to retrieve the family's medical records, his fingertips trembling slightly with excitement.
Zhu Yuanzhang paced back and forth in the Fengtian Hall, his face so dark it seemed to drip water. He suddenly stopped and sternly ordered the eunuch beside him, "Issue an imperial decree! From this day forward, all members of my Zhu clan are forbidden from marrying within three generations of collateral relatives! Those who disobey will be stripped of their titles and demoted to commoners!"
Empress Ma, standing nearby, felt a lingering sense of relief: "Fortunately, none of our children were involved in consanguineous marriages."
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said, "We must hold on tight! If I hesitate for a moment and ruin my descendants, how will I face my ancestors after my death?"
Inside the Taiji Hall in Chang'an, Li Shimin suddenly stood up, his black dragon robe sweeping over the jade paperweight on the table.
"Summon Sun Simiao immediately! Bring him to the palace at once!" His voice was like tearing silk, his fingertips digging deeply into his palms. "Order the Imperial Clan Court: From this day forward, all imperial marriage registers are to be sealed and await further investigation!"
Empress Zhangsun's hands trembled slightly, but she gently pulled Li Lizhi into her arms and whispered like the wind, "Lizhi, don't panic, your mother is here. Tomorrow, I will have your father summon your uncle to the palace to discuss your marriage with your cousin."
"Second Prince, don't be anxious. Some things in the past can't be undone. We'll be fine as long as we live well from now on," Empress Zhangsun gently advised.
"Hmm." Li Shimin sighed. "Guanyinbi, you should choose another princess to marry Chong'er. Chang Le needs to find a new husband."
"Alright, I think Yuzhang is a good choice. She's the most suitable replacement for Chang Le."
"Very well, Yuzhang is closest to you, it would be perfect to marry her to Chong'er."
Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty.
At that moment, he felt a chill run down his spine.
Thankfully, he and his cousin Gillian's marriage didn't result in any children! It seems that from now on, they can only interact as ordinary cousins.
Throughout history, from royalty and nobility to ordinary wealthy families, countless instances of incestuous marriages have occurred, and now everyone is terrified, with the streets and alleys buzzing with excitement.
"Wang Po! Your nephew's marriage to my cousin—" Before the old scholar in the teahouse could finish speaking, the flower-selling woman slammed her hand on the table and exclaimed, "What a tragedy! Three generations of the Zhao family in our village have married, and three out of ten of their children are lame!"
The peddler next to me muttered, "No wonder my mother always said that cousins are close, generation after generation, even broken bones are still connected by tendons—but what if that connection is to a disease?"
The room fell silent, save for the rising steam from the tea, which enveloped the cold sweat that had suddenly jolted everyone awake.
Above the sky, in the warm yellow light of a modern guest room.
Lu Chen was gently wiping the sauce stains from the corners of Si Zi's mouth with a warm towel. The little guy was curled up in his mother's arms, half asleep, with tears of laughter still clinging to his eyelashes.
"Guoguo—" she murmured groggily, "Sizi, don't be sick—" Lu Ma's heart softened, and she hugged the child even tighter.
"Silly child, how could Mom bear to let you get sick? Tomorrow, we'll go for a check-up." Mom patted the little guy to sleep.
"Mom, we absolutely cannot eat or drink anything tomorrow morning, don't forget," Lu Chen reminded her from the side.