ebookland Chapter 1481 The Case of Establishing an Heir (2)
Chapter 1481 The Case of Establishing an Heir (2)
As things unfolded, after Young Master Wen's death, the Wen family would have to begin the process of establishing an heir.
At this point, it would be necessary to select a suitable child from within the five degrees of kinship of Master Wen for adoption.
Unfortunately, there wasn't a single suitable adopted son within five degrees of kinship with Master Wen.
Within five degrees of kinship, they are either only sons or only daughters in their families, and some even have no children at all.
Sun Shan and Zhang Shiye couldn't help but secretly criticize this.
The Wen family has far too few descendants. The area within the five degrees of kinship is so vast, yet they can't find a single suitable heir.
Sun Shan strongly suspects that there is a problem with the genes of Mr. Wen's lineage, and that these genes are the kind that need to be eliminated.
Even if she gives birth to a son, he won't live long.
It is said that Master Wen lost his wife at an early age, and he also married a second wife and took a concubine, but unfortunately none of them left any bloodline. Young Master Wen, who barely grew up, finally got married, but died of illness in less than two years.
Sun Shan tried hard to recall, but he really didn't have any impression of Young Master Wen.
Master Zhang said that Young Master Wen had once attended the "First Bird Droppings Fertilizer Workshop Conference," and at that time, his face was deathly pale.
Master Zhang also mentioned that Young Master Wen had a stake in the bird droppings workshop, and that the Wen family would have to share in the profits from the workshop in the future.
Not long after, Young Master Wen passed away, and the Wen family came to the yamen to file a lawsuit.
Sun Shan and Zhang Shiye whispered to each other a few times and continued reading the petition.
The Wen family could not find a suitable heir within five degrees of kinship, so they had to look outside the family.
That is why Leng filed a complaint today.
At this moment, three groups of people jumped out.
The first group consisted of Young Master Wen's uncles, Ma Da and Ma Er.
As a scholar and maternal uncle, he recommended Wen Er, a close friend of his, to be the adopted son of Master Wen, the adopted younger brother of Young Master Wen, and the heir to the Fang family business.
The second wave consisted of the Wen family's patriarch, who did not acknowledge the eldest uncle, Ma Da, and the adopted son recommended by the second uncle.
The Wen clan chief stated bluntly that Wen Er was not a legitimate descendant of the Wen family, but merely someone with the same surname, not of their clan. Adoption within the Wen family must first be chosen from among their relatives.
He also vehemently accused Ma Dajiu and Ma Erjiu of plotting to collude with Wen Erjiu to seize the Wen family's assets.
As relatives of the maternal relatives, outsiders, they cannot interfere in the Wen family's adoption process or other matters.
At this point, Uncle Ma asked Chief Wen to choose one.
However, this is where the most difficult part comes in. There are no suitable candidates among the Wen clan members; the only option is to choose a distant relative or someone with the same surname as an heir.
Chief Wen simply didn't want the Wen family's wealth to fall into the hands of so-called distant relatives.
Those with the same surname were unwilling, those from distant relatives were also unwilling, and there was no one from the close clan to choose from.
After much deliberation and discussion, they hastily proposed adopting the son of Master Wen's cousin and Young Master Wen's uncle, Wen Dalang, to Master Wen.
Thus, the Wen family business was passed down from brother to brother.
But the biggest problem is that Wen Dalang doesn't have a son yet.
In other words, the adoption of the Wen family was suspended until a son was born, thus creating a fictitious "son".
Sun Shan and Zhang Shiye were dumbfounded when they saw this.
In order to prevent the wealth of the Wen family's businesses from flowing out and to get a piece of this lucrative business, this clan chief Wen actually came up with such an outrageous idea.
Sun Shan recalled a saying Huang had made after Sun Banxian's death: "Clear wine reddens the face, and money moves the heart."
Sun Banxian only owned ten acres of land, three thatched huts, and 50 taels of silver.
Despite Sun Banxian's "unique destiny," Gui Ge'er's grandfather and father adopted Gui Ge'er to Sun Banxian.
The Wen family now possesses a vast fortune, attracting even more covetous eyes, with people resorting to any means to obtain it.
The third wave refers to the plaintiff, Mr. Leng.
During the argument between Uncle Ma and Clan Chief Wen, Leng Shi felt increasingly uneasy. Why were both groups trying to find an heir for her father-in-law, Master Wen, but not for her own husband, Young Master Wen?
If we establish an heir for Master Wen, wouldn't Young Master Wen become a wandering ghost?
Who will take care of Leng Shi's funeral arrangements? Relying on her uncle is not as good as relying on herself.
So Lady Leng wanted to seek justice from her biological father, but he was weak and incompetent and ignored her. He even said that a married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl.
The Leng family was now in a panic.
At home, she obeys her husband; after marriage, she obeys her husband; and after her husband's death, she obeys her son.
And the result? None of the three sides could be relied upon.
What to do?
At this moment, Lady Leng remembered what her husband had said before his death: "Although Magistrate Sun is not good-looking, he is very disciplined in his work. I don't know if he is a good official, but he is definitely a capable one."
The invention of bird guano fertilizer has greatly increased grain production in Yuanlu County, a truly meritorious act.
Before her death, her husband said that since Magistrate Sun took office, the clerks had become much gentler, their open extortion had greatly decreased, and those who came to ask the family for money had become much kinder than before.
After much deliberation, Lady Leng, clinging to her last hope, wrote a petition asking Sun Shan to uphold justice and select a child from a distant relative of the Wen family for her adoption.
Sun Shan and Zhang Shiye were dumbfounded when they saw this.
Master Zhang's lips twitched as he said, "Sir, this Leng Shi has quite a stubborn personality."
Besides saying this, Master Zhang couldn't say anything else.
Leng's complaint first lamented the greed of Uncle Ma and Clan Chief Wen, then shifted to praising Sun Shan from Young Master Wen's perspective, imploring Sun Shan to uphold justice.
Leng was quite a talent; he somehow found a lawyer to write the petition, praising Lord Sun Shan as an upright and just official.
Sun Shan pursed his lips. He could understand upholding justice, but he absolutely could not understand choosing an heir for Young Master Wen.
Although he was the county magistrate and held the most power, he could not get too involved or interfere in such a "private sphere."
Sun Shan asked in confusion, "Master Zhang, why did Uncle Ma and Clan Chief Wen both adopt an heir for Master Wen, but not for Young Master Wen?"
Logically, the priority should be given to having Young Master Wen adopted, since he is already married.
Sun Shan then consulted books on relevant laws and etiquette, carefully examining what kind of people generally did not need to establish an heir.
According to the rites: A father should not act as a father if his son dies young.
Those who die young or prematurely may not be required to establish an heir.
According to the "Book of Rites: Mourning Garments": those aged 19 to 16 are considered the eldest to die young. Those aged 15 to 12 are considered the middle to die young. Those aged 11 to 8 are considered the youngest to die young. Those under the age of eight are considered to die without mourning attire.
People who die as minors or out of wedlock are considered children and do not need to be adopted.
During the Great Qian Dynasty, men reached adulthood at the age of twenty, regardless of whether they were married or not, and an heir could be established for them.
Sun Shan then asked, "Master Zhang, how old is Young Master Wen?"
Master Zhang replied, "Nineteen."
Sun Shan frowned and asked, "Master Zhang, could it be that Young Master Wen is nineteen years old and has not yet come of age, so Uncle Fang and Clan Chief Fang are not establishing an heir for him, and are instead establishing an heir for Master Wen?"
Master Zhang shook his head and said, "Master, although Young Master Wen is not yet of age, he is already married and cannot be regarded as a child."
He paused, then said in a low voice, "Master, Uncle Ma and Clan Chief Wen bypassed Young Master Wen and established an heir for Old Master Wen. I think it's mostly because of the Leng family."
Sun Shan moved slightly.
Yes, it must be because of the Leng family.
If an heir is to be established for Young Master Wen, there is no way to bypass his mother, Lady Leng, and the heir will have to live under Lady Leng's control in the future.
Leng's power is immense; she has absolute authority over the Wen family's assets (how could a son dare to defy his mother?).
But establishing an heir for Master Wen is different; it's just a sister-in-law, an outsider.
If you have a conscience, you can give them a few coins to get rid of them; if you're really vicious, you can sell out the Leng family and no one will say anything.