Wu Yuxuan, however, put on a show. Unable to kneel, he sat on the ground with a cushion, diligently keeping vigil for forty-nine days.
With the encouragement of those with ulterior motives, the matter quickly spread through every street and alley. In contrast, the other children of the Wu family merely went through the motions. They were visible for the first few days, but then they stopped coming altogether.
After the two were buried, the family faced division, as no one wanted to be tied to anyone else.
When the division of the family actually occurred, new conflicts arose. No one wanted the Wu family's vast fortune to be taken by the other.
The second young master had made thorough preparations, sending many gifts to the clan elders in advance, intending to negotiate fiercely with Wu Yuxuan.
On the day of dividing the family assets, Wu Yuxuan looked at the ledger brought by the steward and sneered, "You think because I haven't appeared for a while, you've all ganged up to cheat me? Although I haven't left my residence for a long time, I still have a clear idea of the Wu family's assets. If you don't hand over the real ledger immediately, I'll ask the county princess to investigate at the yamen."
Upon hearing this, cold sweat broke out on the steward's forehead. All the shops, estates, and houses of the Wu family were registered at the yamen. With the relationship between the eldest young master and the county princess, the truth would be revealed the moment they went to the yamen.
The reason he had cooperated with the second young master to falsify the accounts was mainly because he had been with the master for so many years and knew that the master intended to pass on the family fortune to the second young master.
The second young master also panicked upon hearing this and retorted, "What大哥 (eldest brother) is saying is that with the recent incident involving Father and Mother, and their imprisonment, don't we need money? The steward has been busy these days, and many shops have already been sold. Our family assets are indeed not as much as you imagine. Besides, this is an internal family matter of the Wu family. How can outsiders know about it? After all, family shame should not be spread abroad."
"If you don't make the first move, how can I make the fifteenth? Do you think I, Wu Yuxuan, am a fool?" With that, he directly threw the ledger in his hand in front of the second young master. "I've also done some homework and investigated in advance how much the Wu family's assets actually are. Do the numbers on this ledger match?" Su Dan Novel Network.
When the second young master heard this, his heart skipped a beat. He quickly picked up Wu Yuxuan's ledger and his brows furrowed tighter as he read. Indeed, not a single item was more or less. The thought of having to share these things with Wu Yuxuan made his heart ache.
"Looking at the second young master's expression, these items should be correct. Then let's discuss how to divide them. After all, the clan elders are all here. According to the old rules, as the legitimate eldest son, I should receive seventy percent of the family's assets, and the ancestral home will also be mine. Do you have any objections to this?" Wu Yuxuan looked at him calmly.
Upon hearing this, the second young master's grip on the ledger tightened unconsciously. He then looked up and signaled to the elders.
The clan leader thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Among those present, I am the oldest and a senior. Today, I will shamelessly offer a fair word. The division the eldest young master mentioned is not wrong, but we must also consider the practical situation. Your legs are incapacitated, and the business of the manor will still be managed by the second young master in the future. For the sake of the Wu family's century-old foundation, I think it would be best to transfer all these shops under the name of the second young master, and half of the monthly profits can be delivered to you by the servants. What do you think?"
Wu Yuxuan sneered, "I respect you as elders, but your bias is reaching the heavens. Let's not talk about anything else. Touch your hearts and tell me, can he manage the shops well? Besides, if the shops are in his hands, he can declare any profit he wants. If he tells me he's losing money, do I still have to pay him?"
The clan leader, seeing that his intentions had been exposed, became somewhat guilty. To cover his tracks, he quickly feigned anger and said, "I've kindly offered you advice, yet look at your attitude. If you don't need us to make decisions, then why did you invite us? I'm leaving."
Upon hearing this, the second young master quickly tried to appease him, "Clan leader, please don't be angry..."
Before he could finish speaking, Wu Yuxuan followed up with, "Farewell, and don't see me out."
The clan leader was merely putting on a show, finding an excuse to step down. However, Wu Yuxuan's words put him in a difficult position, and his expression turned extremely unpleasant, leaving him unsure of what to do.
The second young master quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, taking the clan leader's hand and leading him to his seat. While gently pressing him down, he said with a conciliatory smile, "Clan leader, please don't take it to heart. He hasn't left his residence for so long and has forgotten how to interact with people, nor does he know how to respect them."
The clan leader snorted and roughly flicked his sleeve.
Wu Yuxuan slowly sipped his tea, and silence fell over the room.
An elder next to the clan leader, unable to bear it any longer, coughed and then said somewhat awkwardly, "Should we continue to discuss how to divide things?"
As soon as he spoke, everyone unconsciously raised their heads, looking at each other, but no one spoke first.
Seeing the stalled situation, the clan leader kicked him under the table.
Then he continued, "How about this, let's not talk about a seventy-thirty split anymore, let's just make it fifty-fifty, considering the special circumstances of our Wu family."
Everyone immediately looked up at Wu Yuxuan upon hearing this.
Wu Yuxuan slowly put down his teacup and smiled, "No matter what you say today, I will stick to my decision. Either the family will not be divided, and I will be in charge, with all the money passing through my hands; or it will be a seventy-thirty split; or I will leave with nothing and start a new branch myself. Of course, if I establish my own household, you must clearly state the reasons in writing, so that others will not slander me in the future."
When the second young master heard this, his eyes lit up with surprise. He could drive Wu Yuxuan out without losing any money. Why not? He quickly looked at the clan members.
To be honest, the clan leader was astonished. He never expected the eldest young master to be so indifferent to the vast fortune of the Wu family, willing to give it away, and only wanting to sever ties with them.
If this had been before, when he had just achieved first place in the imperial examination, he would never have agreed to such a condition. He had been waiting for one man's success to bring his whole family prosperity. But now that he had no more value, he wanted to agree immediately, yet he feared that outsiders would accuse the Wu family of being too harsh and bullying a cripple.
"Eldest young master, have you thought it through? Once the arrow is loosed from the bow, there's no turning back," the clan leader looked at him meaningfully.
"As long as you meet my conditions, you can move out today," Wu Yuxuan said to them with an iron will. He wanted to see how long the Wu family could last in their hands.
When he packed his personal belongings and walked out the door with a piece of paper, he felt completely at ease. That's right, he walked out on his own, astonishing the Wu family members and clearly seeing the regret in the eyes of the Wu family elders. He left the place he had dreamed of leaving with a sense of freedom.