Yu Jinan also thought of this, and his feelings toward his wife and children who had managed to escape went from initial joy to his current worry.
Yue Fuguang thought for a moment and raised her own doubts, "That's not right. According to your previous description of Drunken Rakshasa, the person behind her must have a grand scheme.
Pulling someone like Yu Huaijian into their group shouldn't be just for a small Yu family, right?"
[Indeed, destroying the Yu family and snatching their wealth was merely the personal action of Yu Huaijian and a few of his close friends.
Drunken Rakshasa and the organization behind her wouldn't even bat an eye at the Yu family's meager assets.]
"So in the end, it was an inside job! This Yu Huaijian seems to harbor an excessively deep hatred for the Yu family. The grudge of destroying the entire family—could it just be because he wasn't allowed to officially acknowledge his ancestors and return to the clan?"
[No. A year later, Yu Boyuan will find a way to bring the mother and son into the Yu residence, and Yu Huaijian's name will also be added to the Yu family genealogy.
However, the rules of the Yu residence are strict. The mother and son didn't live the life they imagined; instead, they were bound by rules everywhere.
Although Yu Boyuan still doted on this son and even had the legal wife, Madam Cheng, find him a good match, Yu Boyuan later took in new concubines.
He stopped visiting Concubine Huang's courtyard as often. Back in the brothel, this Concubine Huang had played the role of a 'talented woman', usually favoring the romantic sentiments of gifted scholars and beautiful ladies.
Having been redeemed and freed from her suffering by Yu Boyuan, she naturally invested more of her feelings in him. Now, seeing him smile at the newcomers, her sentimental, artsy side emerged, weeping over the passing of spring and mourning the autumn.
Watching Yu Boyuan take in one new concubine after another, she was heartbroken over her fading beauty and his waning love. Within two years, she died of depression.
Yu Huaijian's wife also died in childbirth that same year, and he blamed the Yu family for the deaths of both his birth mother and his wife.]
"This... did the Yu family really have a hand in it?"
[No, Madam Huang's health was inherently weak, and being neglected by Yu Boyuan led to her depression.
His wife's difficult labor was also due to physical reasons; no one was scheming behind the scenes.
Yu Huaijian was eighteen that year, and his wife had just turned fifteen when she gave birth. Being so young, her body was already frail, and she nourished the baby in her womb to be too large. Was it any wonder it ended in the tragic loss of two lives?
Why is it said that childbirth for mortal women is like walking through the gates of hell? Besides poor medical technology offering no guarantees, it's mostly because the women giving birth are too young.
Their own bodies haven't even fully developed before they are nurturing a new life. How could it not be like walking through the gates of hell!]
"Help me make a note of this. When I have time, I must talk to the Empress Dowager and the Empress. Even if it can't be written into the laws of Dayan, we should have the higher-ups push back the age of marriage for men and women.
What those above favor, those below will follow even more. I imagine the common folk might slowly be influenced by the upper class, forming a customary trend."
[Alright, Little Zhu will definitely remember to remind Master. This Yu Boyuan is an old scoundrel. His son lost his mother and wife in succession, but apart from shoving a few bed-attendants his way, he didn't care about anything else.
Instead, he holed up in the rooms of his young and beautiful concubines, living a life of debauchery. Seeing this, Yu Huaijian naturally harbored resentment again.
His birth mother's bones were not yet cold, but his father was taking in concubine after concubine, while his other brothers' children were born safely one by one. His mind gradually became unbalanced.
His resentment was naturally noticed by those 'friends' in the shady brothels, which ultimately led to the tragedy of the Yu family's second branch when Dayan City fell.]
"He's so old and yet taking concubine after concubine. Isn't he afraid of ruining his health and dying early? Doesn't my Second Grandfather do anything about it?"
[Your Second Grandfather is already lying in the ancestral tomb. If he wants to do anything about it, he can only visit him in his dreams at night!]
Listening to the two of them, Yu Boyuan's face flushed red all the way to the base of his neck. At the thought of his father coming to find him as a ghost, his face instantly turned from red to pale white!
"So that's how it is. He let it go to his head the moment he became the master of the house!"
Yue Fuguang glanced at Yu Boyuan again, the disgust in her eyes practically overflowing.
[Master, your gaze is too obvious. Don't let the Yu family notice. After all, officially, this Yu Boyuan is still your elder.]
Yu Chongshan and Yu Chongyan: What kind of elder is this bastard! Since their granddaughter/grandniece doesn't like him, they really ought to think of a good excuse to give this bastard a beating!
Thus, when everyone headed to the study to discuss matters after the meal, a trembling Yu Boyuan followed behind his brothers, wondering how he was going to explain himself to his uncle and father in a moment.
Suddenly, a loud shout interrupted his thoughts. He heard his father say, "Zhongqing, Jinan, tie your eldest brother up for me."
Tie him up? Now? At his uncle's house, in front of everyone!
He was, at the very least, the eldest son of the second branch. Was his father so angry that he wouldn't leave him any face at all?
Looking at the rope the two brothers brought over, Yu Qinchun suddenly found it very familiar. Wasn't... wasn't this the very rope his father had used to tie him up before beating him, after finding out what he had done to Fuguang?
The mottled bloodstains on it must still be his own!
However, only the brother who had acted on their father's behalf, their father who supervised, and the younger brother who watched the spectacle knew about him being beaten.
Not even his mother, Old Madam Yu, was aware that her third son had been taught a lesson by his old man.
At this moment, Yu Qinchun looked at the surrounding crowd, especially the younger generation. He suddenly felt that although his father and brother had been a bit ruthless when they double-teamed him back then, they still loved him. At least they had saved him some face!
Right now, Yu Boyuan really wanted to bury his face in his hands. Before doing so, he made one last desperate struggle. Knowing full well what the answer would be, he asked, "Father, it seems your son hasn't done anything wrong tonight. Why do you want to beat me? My Huaiming and Huaixian are both watching. I beg you, Father, please leave me some dignity."
Yu Chongyan sneered, "Dignity? Do you even need such a thing? As for the reason, I saw you step out the door with your left foot first just now. It rubbed me the wrong way, so I felt like beating my son!"
His reasoning was as dominant as it was completely unreasonable. The younger generation, unaware of the underlying context, looked utterly baffled. However, those who could hear the inner voices knew that their father or Uncle Yuan wouldn't be able to escape this thrashing!
The system even chimed in, [He deserves it! Master, you must not plead for him!]
"Don't worry. For the sake of our family ties, the fact that I'm not doing it myself is already giving him enough face."
Soon, Yu Boyuan's ghostly wails and wolfish howls echoed from outside. To save him some embarrassment, none of the younger generation went out to watch, except for Yue Fuguang.
[Master, stand a bit further back. Don't let the blood splatter on you!]
Yue Fuguang, knowing it was always wise to heed good advice, obediently stepped back two paces.
Seeing Yue Fuguang there, Yu Chongyan beat his son with even more vigor.
"Little Zhu, look at Second Grandpa. He seems quite robust right now. He doesn't even need to catch his breath while beating his son. How could he pass away in less than two years?"
Yu Chongshan glanced at his younger brother. Chongyan was three years his junior; logically, he shouldn't have passed away so early.
[Master, Yu Chongyan didn't die a natural death. To be precise, he was afflicted with a chronic poison. The poisoning dragged on for over a year before it finally killed him.
The physical symptoms were general weakness and frequent illnesses. Because of this, right up until his death, the Yu family, including your grandfather, all believed he had died of an illness.
Does Master want to know who was behind it?]
Yue Fuguang rolled her eyes. Wasn't that a stupid question? There was clearly some juicy gossip to be had; how could she refuse a treat that was offered right to her lips?
Yu Chongyan's life had to be saved. With him holding down the fort, the Second Branch would become an asset to her rather than a hindrance.
