I, Sun Shan, and the Imperial Examination

Chapter 1485 The Case of Establishing an Heir (6)

Lady Leng was stunned. She had just so easily allowed the establishment of an heir?

She only said a few words at the beginning, and she accomplished her goal so easily?

Happiness came so suddenly that I couldn't react for a moment.

Sun Shan frowned and slammed the gavel again: "Mr. Leng, do you have any objections?"

Lady Leng quickly knelt down and kowtowed, replying excitedly, "My lord, I have no objection."

She paused, then steeled herself and, her heart pounding with fear, made her request: "I humbly beg Your Excellency to select a suitable heir from among the distant ancestors of the Wen clan. Your Excellency is wise and discerning; the one you choose will surely be better than the one I have chosen."

Why would Sun Shan choose an heir for the Leng family?

If someone chooses for her, outsiders might think that Sun Shan is trying to profit from it.

Especially since Leng is a newly widowed woman, and not very old, it's a situation where she needs to avoid suspicion.

Sun Shan directly refused: "Mr. Leng, if you are unsure about the selection of an heir, you can discuss it with the Wen clan."

Although disappointed when Sun Shan refused, Leng Shi had already done enough for her.

She quickly nodded in response: "Yes, sir. The Lady of the Court will discuss with the clan members to select an heir for her deceased husband."

The Leng family had no objections, but the Wen clan chief did.

Ignoring the rules of the court, he hurriedly shouted out his purpose: "Sir, choosing an heir from a distant branch means that person is not of our Wen family bloodline at all. How can our Wen family's business fall into the hands of outsiders?"

He paused, then continued, “Sir, my nephew has passed away, and my grandnephew has also passed away. Now, only my grandnephew is being adopted. Wouldn’t my nephew be left destitute?”

My nephew is not yet of legal age; he's not even an adult. How can my nephew not have any adult descendants to burn incense and offer sacrifices at his grave? Sir, how can our nephew's family allow someone from a distant relative to preside over the ancestral rites?

The nephew of the clan chief is Master Wen, and his grand-nephew is Young Master Wen.

It's similar to the relationship between Sun Bomin, Dege'er, and Gaitou.

If Dege'er and Gaitou were gone, and the family business were left to a distant relative like Sun Heitan's son, they would definitely be anxious.

The clan chief of Wen gritted his teeth and pointed at Leng Shi, saying, "Sir, this Leng Shi is an unlucky person. After marrying into our Wen family, my nephew and grandnephew died one after another. They were all killed by her. Sir, even if we adopt a son for my grandnephew, he will be killed by her sooner or later."

The Wen clan has a saying that Leng is cursed to bring misfortune to her relatives. People usually avoid Leng, fearing that looking at her too much will bring them bad luck.

Whether the Wen clan chief believed it or not, outsiders didn't know, but he acted as if he believed it very much, and intended to use this as an excuse to drive the Wen clan away.

However, the very first step, the issue of "adoption," was a bombshell, leading to a lawsuit filed by the Leng family.

Uncle Ma was furious, and so was Chief Wen.

When Leng heard the clan chief mention the "husband-killing" thing, her face turned pale.

She then stood ramrod straight and replied, "My lord, I am innocent! My father-in-law and husband died of illness, and it has nothing to do with me."

Leng Shi also felt very wronged. Before she married into the Wen family, Master Wen was already quite ill and wanted to use a happy occasion to ward off bad luck. In the end, the happy occasion was held, but he still passed away.

Young Master Wen was already sickly, something Madam Leng had heard about, but her family, greedy for the dowry, pushed her forward.

What could Leng Shi do when her marriage was arranged by her parents and a matchmaker?

The period after marriage is like the calm before the storm.

However, the storm was bound to come, and Young Master Wen passed away.

Leng could not admit that she was a jinx to her husband, but she dared not say that her father-in-law and husband were sickly. So she could only keep crying out that she was innocent and that it had nothing to do with her.

It was also thanks to Leng Shi encountering a fair and just official like Sun Shan that she was able to withstand the accusations from Chief Wen.

He slammed the gavel and rebuked, "Confucius said, 'You should not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits.' How can you speak nonsense in court? Chief Wen, if you continue to talk nonsense and disrupt the order of the court, don't blame me for giving you a beating."

Chief Wen immediately kowtowed and begged for forgiveness: "Please forgive me, Your Excellency. I will never speak recklessly again."

My heart sank. This Lord Sun was clearly on Lady Leng's side and was clearly speaking up for her.

Chief Wen was taken aback: When did Lord Sun become acquainted with the Leng family? Are they having an affair, or did they make a deal in secret?

Otherwise, why would they stand on the Leng family's side?

Sun Shan then changed the subject, saying, "Clan Chief Wen said some things that were very unreasonable, but some things he said were quite reasonable."

Lost in thought, Chief Wen suddenly looked up, his eyes lighting up: Was Lord Sun going to help him?

Was what I just said merely a prelude to what I would say later?

If so, Chief Wen should immediately retract his slander against Sun Shan.

Sun Shan continued, "The Wen family's close relatives are connected to Master Wen and Master Wen's teacher by blood, which cannot be ignored."

This means that the Wen family lineage is closest to Master Wen and Young Master Wen, as they share the same ancestry and ancestor. If the Wen family's entire business were to fall into the hands of outsiders, it would be a great violation of family ethics.

Sun Shan continued, "Although Young Master Wen is married, he has not yet reached adulthood and has not left any children. Clan Chief Wen is supporting Old Master Wen's adoption from among his close relatives, which is reasonable, justifiable, and legal."

The Leng family, the Wen clan chief, and even Uncle Ma, who was just watching the show, all looked at Sun Shan, wondering what he was up to.

Especially for Leng Shi, her joy vanished instantly, and she swayed precariously.

Lord Sun just allowed Young Master Wen to establish an heir, and now he's allowing Old Master Wen to establish an heir. In the end, who will be able to establish an heir?

Sun Shan glanced at everyone in the hall, then at the onlookers outside, and sighed inwardly.

After receiving the case, Sun Shan and Zhang Shiye discussed it carefully and decided to find a satisfactory result that would leave all parties with nothing to say.

It is certain that Wen Xiaomei will receive a dowry, and it is also certain that Leng Shi will be adopted as an heir.

As for the Wen clan, a reasonable solution must also be found.

After much deliberation, Sun Shan decided to grant all their requests, establish an heir for Master Wen, and select an heir from among Wen's close relatives.

No heir? No problem, you can wait patiently.

This process will not affect Wen Xiaomei and Leng Shi's lives.

Sun Shan looked at Wen Xiaomei and said, "Miss Wen is the younger sister of Young Master Wen and the only remaining bloodline of Master Wen. I believe that if Master Wen and Young Master Wen were alive, they would take a share of the family business to make a dowry for Miss Wen. It is only right and proper that Miss Wen should have a share of the Wen family business."

Whether they were the parties involved in the proceedings or the onlookers below, they all stared at Sun Shan in disbelief.

Weren't we just talking about establishing an heir? How did we switch to talking about dowries?

Lord Sun, are you being too abrupt? The crowd is caught off guard.

Wen Xiaomei, who was standing with her head down next to Leng Shi, gently raised her head and paused for a moment.

Lord Sun actually said that she could also get a share of the Wen family's assets. This was something she had never thought about before.

Sun Shan continued, "This judge decrees that 50 mu of farmland and 50 mu of mountain land be allocated to Miss Wen as her dowry from the Wen family's estate."

The remaining family business was divided into two shares.

A gift for Young Master Wen and Madam Leng's adopted son.

A document was issued stating that once Wen Dalang had a son, the son would be established as the adopted son of Master Wen, inheriting the Wen family business alongside the adopted son of Young Master Wen.