All descendants for generations would share his bloodline, with no collateral branches left to covet or taint it.
Prince Jiujiang imagined it all, and he had to admit, the prospect was deeply tempting.
At that moment, he felt a strong kinship with Xiao Qianyu. Too many brothers were a nuisance. Being an only son was the best.
He wanted to eliminate his brothers so the throne would pass only to his own descendants. As it happened, Xiao Qianyu thought the same way.
The difference was that the one he wanted to eliminate was his own son!
Was he really going to kill his son? Prince Jiujiang's Heir was caught in a dilemma.
He looked hesitantly at Xiao Qianyu. "You bear the Mandate of Heaven. The throne is bound to be yours, and your brothers won't pose any threat to you."
Xiao Qianyu replied coolly, "There's no need to worry about that in my generation, of course. But I'll have descendants of my own, and there's no guarantee that one generation won't produce another ambitious usurper. I don't want the realm changing hands and all my efforts serving someone else's ends." He had to eliminate every potential danger.
Prince Jiujiang's Heir didn't mind. They were all his descendants, after all—but they weren't Xiao Qianyu's.
Prince Jiujiang's Heir asked tentatively, "What if I insist on keeping my sons born to concubines...?"
Xiao Qianyu lowered his eyes and smiled, his tone calm and unruffled. "Then you and I will have little father-son affection between us. From then on, I can only devote myself wholeheartedly to being the Crown Prince."
If not for the fact that they were both supporting villains, it didn't matter who he called father. He could always establish a new family register later; no one else would get to mooch