All Hail Cousin Brother

Chapter 543: Adoption

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

At this point, she was unwilling to say this anymore. She changed the topic. “Grandmother, if you want, you can adopt Brother Ming under Madam Yang’s name. Father doesn’t have many children, and there are very few people in the first branch. With the status of a legitimate son, Brother Ming’s future will be easier.”

Yu Zongzheng’s suggestion was really to compensate her mother.

However, after all, didn’t he want to give this hard-won son of a concubine a more legitimate identity?

Yu Shanyan had been delayed by Madam Yang for a few years, and his future was not bright.

Yu Zongzheng definitely had to put in more effort to nurture Yu Shanming well. Naturally, he had to give Yu Shanming a more legitimate identity. He did not have many children, so this matter was not too much.

However, Yu Zongzheng hated Madam Yang.

He did not care about Madam Yang’s identity as a concubine’s daughter, so he was unwilling to adopt this hard-won son under Madam Yang’s name.

When it came to Yu Shansi, he had no choice. After all, she was his biological mother.

Yu Shanming could pass him on to his first wife.

Although Xie Roujia was a businesswoman, back then, when Yu Zongshen wrote the “Sea Map”, the Xie family had contributed and was also praised by the emperor.

Later on, the Imperial Court opened maritime transportation widely and could not operate without the Xie family’s help.

Back then, the Xie Residence was also extremely famous, so no one looked down on Xie Roujia’s background. Instead, many families in the capital targeted the huge profits from sea transport and took the initiative to befriend Madam Xie.

Madam Xie was shrewd and generous, and she had a good reputation in the capital.

If Yu Shanming was adopted under Xie Roujia’s name, it naturally wouldn’t be bad for him.

Yu Zongzheng’s scheme was not limited to this!

The Xie Residence had connections, channels, and money. When Yu Shanming was adopted into the Xie Residence, the Xie Residence would be his external family. In the future, even if Yu Youyao married out, the Xie Residence and the Yu Residence would still have a strong relationship.

In the future, when Yu Shanming embarked on an official career, the Xie family would also spend money and effort to pave the way for him on account that he was Xie Roujia’s son.

With the Xie family’s help, Yu Shanming’s future would definitely be stronger than Yu Shansi’s.

After all, because of Yang Shuwan, it was impossible for the Xie Residence to help Yu Shansi. This was equivalent to the Yu Residence cutting off their powerful backer, the Xie Residence, when Yu Youyao married out.

Adoption was not a small matter, nor could it be a hot topic for the Yu Residence. They had to get the Xie Residence’s approval.

The reason why Yu Zongzheng had made this suggestion was also because of Yu Youyao. She liked her younger brother, Yu Shanming, very much.

As long as Yu Youyao agreed, the Xie family had no reason to refuse.

Yu Youyao couldn’t help but feel a little sick because of it, but she also understood that the Xie family’s in-laws were useful connections. Whether it was the Yu Residence or the clan far away in Tongzhou, there was no reason to give up easily.

She would get married sooner or later.

At that time, the in-law relationship between the Yu and Xie Residences would only exist in name.

As the eldest son of the first branch, it was inevitable that Yu Zongzheng would consider this. His grandmother was also happy to see it happen. However, due to her guilt towards her mother, it was not appropriate for her to make decisions on her own, so she asked for her opinion.

Most of the aristocratic families were like this.

Some families in the capital would even marry the concubine’s sister in order to maintain their relationship with the first wife’s maiden family after her early death.

If she wasn’t of the right age, she would still go to the first wife’s family and choose a younger sister of the same age to marry into the family as a second wife.

In ancient times, there were sisters that served the same husband.

Such a situation was common in every dynasty.

Old Madam Yu felt a little regretful about Yu Youyao’s rejection, but she did not say anything else. “Do you think it’s appropriate to adopt Brother Ming under

Madam Yang’s name?”

Yu Youyao said calmly, “It’s just borrowing an identity. It won’t affect anything. It’s more logical for Brother Ming to be adopted under her name.”

She indeed liked her younger brother, Yu Shanming, very much. Naturally, she hoped that he would not have to use the title of a concubine’s son in the future and have a good future.

Madam Yang’s background was a little low, and her character was not good, but she was still the first wife after all.

Old Madam Yu frowned. “I’ll discuss this with your father again.”

Yu Youyao nodded. “The relationship between the aristocratic families is important. Old generations of family friendships have to be maintained. I know that Grandmother and Father want to maintain their long-standing in-law relationship with the Xie family, but Father has been estranged from the Xie family for many years. Even if I agree to this matter, the reconciliation might not succeed. After all, I’m just a junior. I’m sandwiched between an external family and internal family. It’s inevitable that I’ll be troubled, and it’ll really ruin the relationship between the two families.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Old Madam Yu sighed. “It’s my fault for not thinking it through. I forgot that you’re an unmarried young lady. You shouldn’t have gotten involved in this matter.”

This matter was adult’s business to begin with. Even if Yao Yao was in charge of the family, she shouldn’t get involved in this matter.

If Yao Yao really agreed, she would be ignorant.

The Xie Residence was already brooding over Xie Roujia’s death. All these years, they had been distant from the Yu Residence because of their grandchild, Yu Youyao.

If Yao Yao agreed to this, the Xie Residence would misunderstand that it was the Yu Residence who had instigated Yu Youyao.

To put it simply, it was called profit-seeking.

At the very least, they would be extremely shameless and disregarded etiquette.

Not only would it make things difficult for Yao Yao, but the Yu Residence couldn’t afford to lose face either. The Xie Residence would also be even more dissatisfied with the Yu Residence.

After thinking this through, Old Madam Yu’s expression tightened. “Don’t interfere in this matter anymore. I’ll explain it to your father and let him forget about it.”

In addition, Yu Youyao was only focused on helping the Yu Residence and the Xie Residence to please them. As the daughter of the Yu Residence, it made sense, but it was a little unreasonable emotionally.

It was hard to guarantee that the Xie Residence wouldn’t take this to heart.

The meager relationship between the Yu and Xie families would also be in danger.

At this point, Yu Youyao also expressed her stance. “No matter what, my relationship with the Xie family is endless. As the eldest sister, it’s only right for me to help my siblings in the family. As a daughter, it’s only right and proper for me to help my maiden family. As a daughter of the Yu Clan, it’s naturally only when the family prospers that my future will be good.”

These words were considered her stance. The Xie family was her external family. She had benefited from the Xie family. Could it be that she was worried that she wouldn’t help her siblings, family and clan?

One had to know that not only did a woman have to have a powerful external family, but she also had to have a reliable family.

Old Madam Yu had a complicated expression. “Your father, he…”

When Eldest Son mentioned this this morning, she did not think of it like this. She only thought that Eldest Son felt guilty towards Madam Xie and was happy to see it.

Now that Yao Yao had vaguely expressed her stance, she suddenly understood that Eldest Son wanted to adopt Yu Shanming as Madam Xie’s heir. He actually wanted to use Yu Shanming and obtain benefits from the Xie family.

If it were anyone else who had such thoughts, she would not think much of this scheme.

But what right did he have to scheme like this?