Chapter 5: The Law and Regulations are Merely Empty Words

Yan fixed his gaze on Song Nan's youthful face and slowly said: "You are quite impressive, being able to read and understand the principles, and even knowing the Ming laws clearly. These legal provisions are typically scrutinized only by those in the government, which shows that your ambitions are not trivial; however, what does this law have to do with you"

Song Nan let out a light sigh and said, "Since it is thus, there is nothing more to say. I shall go to the prefectural government office to beat the drum. We are flesh and blood, and I do not wish to do this, but I have no other choice. I hope that my father in heaven can forgive my recklessness"

... ...

What is meant by bleeding? The person should have rightfully inherited a share of the family estate. It was the matriarch of the Song family who took advantage of this young boy and his mother, who were ignorant and young, and forcibly occupied it. This is referred to as returning property to its rightful owner

Song Nan said: "The younger generation naturally understands these matters, but the laws of the Ming Dynasty do not take into account how great your power is or how much wealth you possess; a prince and a commoner are equally guilty under the law. The reason I am not afraid is precisely because I have the support of the laws of the Ming Dynasty"

The person approaching was indeed from the Yan family. Upon seeing Song Nan from a distance, Yan immediately recognized him as the child from over a decade ago without a doubt. In addition to the facial features that closely resembled the deceased Song De, the delicate appearance between his brows also inherited the traits of that lowly maid.

Yan's cold demeanor: "In that case, are you not worried? Although my Song family in Weizhou cannot claim to be the foremost household, we have connections with officials and gentry alike. You just mentioned wanting to report to the authorities; do you think you can win the case?"

Yan, seizing the moment, addressed the onlookers: "Dear villagers, there are always those with fanciful dreams who think they can exploit loopholes. This person is the son of my family's maid, who was expelled from the Song residence over a decade ago for improper conduct. I do not know which wild man she consorted with to bear this illegitimate child, yet he dares to impersonate a member of the Song family. Today, I shall let him go this once and will not report him to the authorities. You may all disperse; there is nothing more to see."

Song Huan supported Yan as they just stepped onto the threshold of the mansion, startled by this shout, causing her to shiver. The crowd turned in astonishment, and the citizens who were about to leave, seeing that there was still more to come, gathered around once again.

Yan said with a smile: "You, young man, come to my doorstep with a decree from the Ming Dynasty, claiming your right to inherit the family estate. Is that not too absurd? Although your surname is Song, what evidence do you have to prove that you are of my family's bloodline? There are countless people with the surname Song in the world; if that were the case, wouldn't any random young man with the surname Song be able to come to my Song residence and demand a share of the estate? What a tremendous joke! My Song family does not hold your rudeness against you poor madmen, but if you do not leave, even if you do not report to the authorities, I will have someone report you myself"

Song Nan turned to look and saw at the entrance of the Song residence, several maids and servants surrounding a dignified woman who was walking towards them. The woman appeared to be in her forties, with well-defined features that suggested she must have had some beauty in her youth. However, her high cheekbones detracted from her overall attractiveness, giving her a somewhat awkward appearance.

Yan was in a state of utter confusion and sighed, saying: "What are you panicking for? Stay calm; it would be fine to report to the local government, but the real trouble is his threat to take the matter to Datong Prefecture and then to the capital. If I had known this would happen, I should have been resolute from the beginning and driven that wretched maid out of Yuzhou. It was truly a miscalculation."

Hmph, what a terrible idea this is. Wouldn't that publicly announce that he is qualified to inherit the Song family estate? If he wants to compete with me, this wretched child still has to eat for several decades before that can happen

Yan sneered coldly: "Naive, do tell me what law supports you?"

In the midst of hesitation, Song Nan said: "Madam, at the beginning, you deceived my mother, who was kind and ignorant. Not only did you refuse to give her a rightful status, but you also drove us out of the old residence on Beidajie. Fortunately, my mother supported my education, allowing me to become literate and enlightened. It also made me realize that a portion of the Song family's estate belongs to me. If you had any conscience, you would have helped us mother and son, but you did not. Therefore, I can only come to your residence to reclaim what is rightfully mine. Even if your Song family has extensive connections, what do I have to fear with the Ming decree in hand? I believe that the officials of Yuanzhou will surely uphold the law and make a fair judgment, thus saving me the trouble of appealing to the Datong Prefecture or even to the capital. In any case, I believe there will always be someone who can adjudicate fairly."

Yan's face changed color. Coming from a prominent family, she naturally understood what Song Nan was saying. Although Song Nan was neither a legitimate son nor an illegitimate one, he was born of a maid. According to the regulations of the Ming Dynasty regarding household inheritance, he could not inherit the hereditary title of nobility but was entitled to inherit the family property. Moreover, the most critical point was the statement: "In the analysis of family wealth and property, regardless of wives, concubines, or maid-born children, the distribution shall be based solely on the number of sons." This meant that apart from his own dowry, Song Nan would have the right to claim half of the remaining family assets, as there were no other heirs in the Song family besides Song Huan and Song Nan.

Song Nan's face was as pale as death, standing there, his frail body swaying as if about to collapse. Li Daniu sighed and supported his arm, saying: "Nan Ge'er, let us go back."

Song Nan opened the book, turned to the page marked by a yellow leaf, and read aloud: "For legitimate and illegitimate sons, except for those who inherit through official favor, the legitimate eldest son shall first exhaust his share. The analysis of family wealth and property shall not consider wives, concubines, or maidservants, but shall be equally divided according to the number of sons; for the sons born out of wedlock, the division shall be based on the number of sons and shall be half of the total. If there are no sons, the designated heir shall inherit and share equally with the illegitimate sons; if there is no designated heir, only then shall the entire inheritance be allowed to be divided among the heirs."

Song Nan greeted Li Daniu and turned to walk out of the crowd, when someone behind shouted loudly: "Wait!"

It is said that the Song family is quite overbearing, relying on their connections with the authorities, and they are usually very arrogant. This time, let us see how they will handle the situation

I initially thought that Song Nan truly had a way to reclaim his rightful inheritance, but unexpectedly, the Song family is so shameless that they even deny his bloodline identity. This matter has passed for over ten years, and Song De has been dead for five years. Besides Song De, who else can prove that Song Nan is his biological son

Yan has realized the seriousness of the issue; half of the family fortune is an enormous sum, which would unjustly benefit this young man. How could he accept this willingly

Yan cast him a glance and said: "Learn from this, your mother has taught you for twenty years, yet you still haven't grasped even the basics of what she has taught."

Yan turned sideways to avoid the courtesy, her face bearing a cold expression as she said lightly: "I cannot accept such praise; I am not of your generation. Where is your seductive mother? Why does she not dare to meet me in person, but instead sends you to cause trouble in my home?"

The murmurs of the common people pierced the eardrums like sharp steel awls. Song Huan jumped up in anger and shouted, "You bunch of country bumpkins, are you looking for a fight? What are you still standing there for? Why aren't you driving this group of country bumpkins far away?"

Song Huan stood there with her mouth agape for a while, and suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. She turned to the servant beside her and said, "Did you hear that? He must be crazy; this is going to make me die of laughter. How can there be such a shameless person?"

Shall we negotiate with him, offering him 180 taels of silver to settle the matter? We could also intimidate him with the help of friends in the government, so that he dares not cause any more trouble. What do you think, Mother?

Song Nan calmly stated: "Nothing can surpass reason. I have come today to peacefully resolve this matter with you. Otherwise, I will have to report it to the authorities and request a legal judgment. In that case, the Song family would lose face. You should consider this carefully."

The servants burst into laughter, pointing at Song Nan and mocking him in a cacophony of voices

Song Nan was taken aback, momentarily unable to comprehend the meaning behind Yan's words

The onlookers around were abuzz with discussion, with one person saying: "So that's how it is, the court actually has such a decree, yet we were completely unaware. This time, the Song family is bound to suffer losses"

Song Nan smiled and said: "To be honest, my mother has no idea that I am here. If she were to find out, she would probably be extremely worried."

The onlookers found nothing entertaining to watch, and immediately felt bored. They began to disperse while chatting and joking among themselves, their remarks mostly consisting of phrases like "young people with hands and feet who do not learn well, but instead come to flaunt and deceive"

It is said again: "Indeed, wealth and nobility are predetermined by heaven. This person is driven mad by the desire for money. If the Song family reports to the authorities, wouldn't he be punished for fraud and suffer a severe beating?"

Song Nan gritted his teeth, nearly biting them until they bled. Suddenly, he shook off Li Daniu's supporting hand and shouted loudly: "Hold on! Since your Song family is so shameless, don't blame me for making sure we both suffer the consequences."

Song Nanxin thought: "The main person has finally arrived; this woman must undoubtedly be Yan, the mother of Song Huan."

Song Huan laughed heartily and said, "Report to the authorities? How could you even think of that? What if you do report? Would the Song family be afraid of your report? Go ahead and report if you dare."

The crowd buzzed like a boiling pot, astonished that the Yan family would take such a step, directly denying the blood relationship between Song Nan and the Song family. The events that took place in the Song residence back then were not known to outsiders; who could possibly prove that Song Nan was the biological child of Song De

Song Huanxi said: "Mother, do you understand the meaning of hetushu.com?"

Someone exclaimed: "So that's how it is. This young person appears to be gentle and quiet, yet harbors quite a deep scheme, having thought of such a trick. Truly shameless."

Song Nan said, "Very well, since the elders have inquired, let us speak frankly and openly." Song Nan reached into his bosom and took out a blue-covered book, raising it towards those around him, saying, "This is the 'Great Ming Code' revised by the cabinet in the sixth year of the Hongzhi reign of the Great Ming. It clearly stipulates the inheritance rights concerning property in the household regulations. Allow me to read a passage for everyone."

The house servants scratched their heads in confusion as hundreds of commoners gathered. A dozen or so servants dared not take action; the young master's request was simply too difficult to fulfill. Even before any of them could move, several burly butchers in the crowd, who were slaughtering dogs, had their eyes wide open and their fists cracking ominously, showing no courage to step forward

"Greetings, esteemed elder. I, Song Nan, pay my respects to you." Song Nan said, cupping his hands in salute.

Mother, what should we do? Are we really going to hand over half of the family fortune to this scoundrel?

Once the laughter of the crowd subsided, Song Nan quietly said: "Have you laughed enough? Ignorance is not frightening, but ignorance without fear is indeed terrifying; I am of the Song family lineage, my father has passed away, and naturally, I am entitled to my share of the family estate. What is there to laugh about? Am I not justified in reclaiming my rightful share?"

Yan's face bore a smile as she slowly raised her hand, and the surrounding noise immediately ceased. Everyone was eager to hear how the Song family would respond—whether they would willingly relinquish half of their estate or if there were other viable solutions.

Song Huan sneered, "So you have lofty ambitions, yet you are eyeing the assets of the Song family. Do you think you are qualified to inherit a share of the Song family's estate? Don't indulge in your delusions; I advise you to return to your doghouse early. If you truly provoke me, I will not be polite to you."