"Of course, nobody from the Mo Estate would ever dare coerce," Mo Seris said, flashing a pleasant smile at the officer before turning back to Song Horo. "Remember, as I said before, we would not force a small family to cough up a baby. Otherwise, we might be seen as tyrants."
But there is really no need to coerce, Mo Seris continued internally. Every child of yours has made its way to the Mo Family, regardless.
"Then we shall wait," Song Horo said evenly.
Mo Seris smiled.
You can act as noble as you would like, but you still send your children to die, just so you can snatch a few benefits.
Song Horo felt his neck prickle.
He turned to the bed, where Rao Isana was looking nervously at him. It was obvious that she was worried about the potential for the Song relationship with the Mo Family to sour because of this incident.
Song Horo tried to give a reassuring look back in response.
None of his actions had been performed out of anger. It was all deliberate, and done for one crucial reason. Even if the Song Family was in a subordinate relationship, they absolutely could not let the Mo Family walk over their heads.
If we bend over even once, then we will find it hard to ever get back up again.
He tried to convey this in his glance, reminding his wife.
Remember, we spoke about this before! We already discussed the attitude we need to take!
Huo Yuri, the officer, had long been ignored.
To an outsider, it might seem strange. The officer was exceedingly familiar with Mo Seris. They crossed paths whenever the Mo Family took an infant in his jurisdiction - this amounted to dozens of times every month. The officer had also met the Third Manager several times in the past.
And yet, if he had not spoken up when he did, then neither party would have acknowledged his presence.
He was an outsider to the deal that was taking place. By the very nature of the business they conducted, it made the most sense to keep a distance from one another.
Huo Yuri saw that they were no longer paying attention to him and retreated to his corner.
He had spoken up to remind the parties that they shouldn't take matters out of hand, not because he wanted to take a side or because he had any ulterior purpose. From the response, it seemed that their attitudes were largely performative and his actions were unnecessary.
The officer was in a strange position.
He might not be respected, but he was still untouchable. Nobody wanted to attract the attention of the Dynasty, or be seen as acting against it, lest they be made an example of.
Therefore, even as a small officer of the Dynasty, Huo Yuri could not be harmed.
His presence, or rather the presence of an officer from Goldmoon Hall, was needed for certain matters. Currently, he was recording the birth of the Third Manager's child. Or, rather, if the baby was taken by the Mo Family, ensuring that it was not recorded.
In such a case, the household registry would officially recognize it as a miscarriage.
It was an act of corruption, but such corruption was the norm where the large families were concerned.
There were tacit relationships that needed to be maintained, and even the town magistrate was involved. Reassurances were always passed down from above.
In both directions he was powerless to resist.
If the city official arrived to check accounts and discovered any of the corruption he had taken part in, he would be shielded from scrutiny by Goldmoon Hall. Likewise, if any of the families kicked up a fuss, then the Mo Family would step in and pressure the other party until they gave in.
Like the other mortality officers, he only needed to know how to move with the current and not offend the local snakes.
Song Kiro finally took the last measurement. While the spiritual testing instrument began compiling all of the measurements to calculate the infant's talent, he wiped the sweat from his brow.
In all of his years, this had been the most difficult talent assessment to perform. He reminded himself to send an apprentice in his stead the next time he was asked.
"Is there an immortal fate?" Song Horo asked, feeling his expectations rise.
Song Kiro looked down.
The instrument had given its verdict.
He shook his head slowly. "None whatsoever."
There was a collective intake of breath in the room, as the anticipation that had been built up was suddenly deflated. Originally, the testing would not have been so tense, but with Seris's actions and the odd behavior of the infant, there had been a heightened atmosphere developing.
Whether there was an immortal fate…
It was the most important factor in a person's life.
With sufficient talent, one's fortunes could be flipped. A child in poverty could gain the ability to fight for power and respect in the world.
How much more important was it in the present case?
If the infant had an immortal fate, there was no chance that Song Horo would give him up. Instead, the infant would be given a name and a prominent position in the Song Manor. The whole family would fight tooth and nail to protect his interests as he grew up.
But the infant did not have such talent.
His father would not fight to keep him, and nothing good awaited him in the Mo Estate.