The Grand Secretary's Child-Raising Diary

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Several clan elders were huddled together whispering when they saw Lu Chong and his two sons approaching, and they all stood up to greet them.

Although the clan elders were all quite old, Lu Chong held a noble title after all. Everyone exchanged greetings and, after some pleasantries, took their seats according to rank. Lu Chong decided to take the initiative, cupping his hands and apologetically addressing the second clan elder on his left:

"This time, it was my unfilial son who acted on his own initiative, alarming the clan and causing my cousins ​​to make a wasted trip. I will definitely visit them in person another day to apologize."

The matter of dividing the family property should be carefully considered in any family. Lu Chong thought that since he had made his point so clear, the elders would definitely take the opportunity to persuade him and then leave after offering a few words of advice.

But to everyone's surprise, the eldest and most senior member of the Second Clan Elder, who had been invited by Lu Shiyan today, seemed not to have heard his words. Instead, the Third Clan Elder spoke up first:

"In my opinion, now is the perfect time for the Chengen Earl's Mansion to split up. Shi Yan and Jing Yan have already started their own families and had children. Shi Yan is about to be promoted to the fourth rank in the court. It's not appropriate for him to live in the same mansion as his elder brother."

Although these people were all invited by Lu Shiyan, Lu Youning did not think that the elders of the Lu family would stand on Lu Shiyan's side before they came in. In order to successfully sever ties with the strange family of the Marquis of Chengen, Lu Youning was prepared to stand up for his father if he was attacked by the crowd. Unexpectedly, before anything was said, someone stood on their side.

I never expected that there would be such a humane person in the Lu clan.

Although Lu Chong was muddle-headed in his role as head of the family, it was only because he turned a blind eye to Qin Shi and his eldest son, Lu Jingyan. However, when it came to endangering Lu Jingyan or his own interests, he was anything but muddle-headed.

From the words of the three elders, he could already vaguely sense the attitude of the clan.

But after thinking about it, Lu Chong changed his tone when he spoke again, and his face showed some melancholy: "What my cousin said is right. It is reasonable for the children to separate from the family when they grow up. If we force the two brothers to stay in one house, it will only cause estrangement between them in the long run."

However, ever since my second daughter-in-law passed away, Shi Yan has refused to remarry. Now there's no one in the courtyard who cares about us. If we just separate and live separately, wouldn't outsiders criticize me as their father?

There was no reliable mistress in Lu Shiyan's courtyard. When this was mentioned, the firmness on the faces of the clan elders turned hesitant.

The second elder lifted his drooping eyelids slightly, first glancing in Lu Youning's direction, and finally landing on Lu Chong: "The clan leader is seriously ill, and now most of the clan's affairs are being handled by us elders."

Originally, dividing the family property was your own business, but since Shi Yan has come to us, I'll shamelessly step in to uphold justice. Do you think I'm abusing my age, Lord Lord?

Even if Lu Chong thought this way in his heart, he would never dare to reveal it out loud, after all, the clan was his source of confidence.

He hurriedly cupped his hands and begged for forgiveness: "Brother, what are you saying? You can speak frankly about matters in my household."

Seeing that his attitude was acceptable and he wasn't so confused as to put on airs like a nobleman, the second clan elder nodded in satisfaction, and when he spoke again, his tone carried more of the authority of a clan elder:

"The fire at the Earl's Mansion a few days ago caused quite a stir in the capital. Rumors on the streets and alleys were changing every day. Even when I went out to meet friends, I would be questioned by people."

"My lord, I ask you, when news of Song Zhan's disappearance in the river reached you, why didn't you immediately send people to search for him?"

Unexpectedly, when the two elders brought up this matter, Lu Chong's lips trembled, and he dared not look at Lu Shiyan: "When the news was sent back, it had been many days since he fell into the water and went missing. I lost my beloved son and was overwhelmed with grief, which is why I lost my composure."

Hearing him say this, the second elder slammed his cane heavily on the ground: "Foolish! Song Zhan was ordered by His Majesty to go to Jiangnan to inspect the grain transport. Even if he died, the court should have sent a proper message. But you just listened to some rumors that you don't know if they were true or false, and then you set up a mourning hall in your mansion and made a big fuss."

Do you know how many people gossiped behind your back that day, calling you, Lu Chong, and Qin Shi heartless, mocking our Lu family for having no successor and yet being smug about it?

Seeing that the second elder was getting really angry, the third elder quickly tried to calm him down: "Second brother, second brother, don't be anxious. Just talk to the lord properly."

Lu Chong's face flushed red from the words of the two elders. He wanted to explain and refute, but he didn't know where to begin.

After Qin Shi and Lu Jingyan set up a mourning hall for Lu Shiyan, he couldn't help but feel that Qin Shi was too hasty. But what could he do? The person who sent the message was very certain, and made it clear in his words that Lu Shiyan would definitely die if he fell into the water. Since he was going to die, it didn't matter when the funeral was held. He was already dead, so why make the family uneasy because of him?

Lu Youning turned her head to look at Lu Shiyan and saw that his expression remained calm, as if he was not the one being repeatedly discussed about life, death, and funeral rites in front of him.

The second elder took a sip of tea and continued, "In our Lu clan, only Songzhan has emerged as a promising individual in this generation. The Lu clan will have to rely on him in the future."

"Lord, the foolish things you and Qin did in the past are in the past. But for the sake of the Lu family's future, please don't let this good child be disheartened again."

What else could Lu Chong say? His voice was dry: "Then, according to my cousin, what should I do?"

The second elder said, "Shi Yan has been promoted, and His Majesty has bestowed upon him a residence. Why not take this opportunity to properly divide the family property? Jing Yan, as the heir apparent and the legitimate son, should rightfully receive the lion's share. How about we allocate one-third of the Earl's estate to Shi Yan as a means of settling down? What do you think, Earl?"

Before Lu Chong could speak about giving Lu Shiyan one-third of his family fortune, Qin Shi's voice rang out from outside the door: "No."

Everyone turned to look, and saw that Madam Qin had an angry expression on her face, with Lu Qi'an and Lu Qichen holding the hands of her brothers on either side, while Madam Cui was standing beside her with an angry expression as well.

Seeing that Qin Shi, a woman, had run to the front yard where the men were discussing matters without being informed, the elders all showed displeasure. The only one who was happy was Lu Jingyan, since he really couldn't get a word in edgewise in this situation.

Ignoring the expressions of the elders present, Qin led Lu Qi'an and Lu Qichen to sit down on the right side and looked at the elders: "Since this is a discussion about the division of my family, how could I, as the head of the household, not be present?"

Since she's already here, and this matter of dividing the family property is indeed related to her, the elders can't possibly ask her to leave.

The two elders completely ignored Qin Shi and spoke only to Lu Chong: "Does Lord Lu think my suggestion is feasible?"