Chapter 1667 — Senator Marriage and Inheritance Law (II)

Beauty fades, and those who rely upon it for position find that position precarious indeed. The earliest Life Secretaries—maids pressed into service during the lean years—could scarcely be called beauties in the first place. Now, as the Senate's power expanded, the pool of available maids had grown both larger and finer. Competition came from every direction: polished Fangcaodi graduates steeped in modern education, and accomplished daughters of wealthy families across East Asia who brought connections and refinement in equal measure. Against such rivals, the original Life Secretaries found their footing increasingly uncertain.

The Senators had, of course, grown attached to their first companions. Years of shared hardship had forged genuine bonds. Yet affection did not prevent quiet complaints that these women were "plain," "lowborn," or "uneducated." When Du Wen proposed treating these long-term relationships as de facto marriages deserving legal protection, his motion was crushed in the vote. Most Senators had already fixed their ambitions on more advantageous matches—a Fangcaodi graduate, perhaps, or a daughter of mainland gentry who could supply both prestige and political utility. Only a rare few, Wu Nanhai and Wu De among them, had actually wed their Life Secretaries as legal wives.

The Life Secretaries understood their position with bitter clarity. They knew the title of "legal wife" would never be theirs. Children, then, became their sole guarantee—of status, security, and a future within the household. For newcomers among them, lacking even the tenuous advantage of being an "original companion," offspring were doubly vital. Without exception, these women treated their children as talismans against misfortune, indulging them as a matter of survival. Those fortunate enough to bear sons naturally maneuvered to secure their boy's advantage in any future competition for the Senator's seat.

Ji Xin surveyed this landscape with a strategist's eye. At present, most Senators had only one or two children by one or two Life Secretaries. The numbers remained manageable. But once the Mainland Campaign commenced, both wives and offspring would multiply exponentially. Without clear rules established now, today's quiet domestic tensions could tomorrow become bloody feuds.

The proposed "Senator Marriage and Inheritance Law" defined two categories of spousal relationship: "legal marriage" and "de facto cohabitation." The distinction carried significant weight. Legal marriage required formal procedures, recognition by the Senate Court of Honor, and official certificates; divorce likewise demanded proper process. De facto cohabitation required nothing more than registration with the General Office.

A Senator who married another Senator automatically entered a legal marriage regardless of when the union occurred. There were no restrictions on gender. Female Senators could maintain multiple male Life Secretaries. Homosexual unions received equal legal acknowledgment.

A spouse within legal marriage was formally recognized as husband or wife under Senate law, entitled to all corresponding rights, including priority in inheritance upon the Senator's death. Those in de facto cohabitation received none of this. Whether such a partner could inherit anything—and what share—lay entirely within the Senator's will or the discretion of its executor.

This amounted to a legalized hierarchy of "primary wife and concubine." A small faction led by Du Wen denounced the draft as reactionary regression. The Law Society, however, offered a coolly technical reminder: in legal terms, Senators had no "concubines."

"Whether the step be large or small, it remains a step forward in human civilization," Ji Xin urged during deliberations. Though the opposition was proportionally small, he addressed their concerns with transparency.

"Comrade Du Wen, I understand your ideals and share them in principle. But our present circumstances make full realization impossible. Rather than cling to absolutes and achieve nothing, let us bend a little to move incrementally toward the goal..."

If spouses occupied different legal tiers, children did not. The Marriage and Inheritance Law decreed that any child registered with the Heraldry Court—legitimate, illegitimate, or adopted—possessed equal legal standing. There was no cap on adoptions. An adopted child could even inherit a Senator seat, though only if the Senator had no biological children or those children were incapable of succession.

As for inheritance method—by merit, seniority, or other criteria—each Senator decided individually. By law, all legitimate children were eligible regardless of gender or maternal background, though children whose mothers were themselves Senators enjoyed priority.

During a Senator's lifetime, the chosen inheritance method and designated heirs were to be sealed and entrusted to the Heraldry Court in the presence of a witness. Upon death, the Senate Funeral Committee would oversee the reading. Once read, the decision became final and unappealable.

For Senators who made no arrangements, the default was primogeniture. If there were no children, or those children were incapable, the Senate would arrange adoption of another Senator's child.

A Senator's personal property, beyond nationalized shares and Senate-owned assets like houses and vehicles, followed the Senator's will. In its absence, the Senate presided over distribution, with the seat-inheritor as principal heir.

This system balanced interests sufficiently to pass without major controversy. Some, however, advocated blanket primogeniture for stability.

"...So-called 'appointment by merit' is raising venomous gu insects," one Senator argued. "A Senator with five or six children will inevitably stage full 'Palace Intrigue.' How does one demonstrate worthiness? Through framing, slander, every conceivable trick. We should adopt the European model: primogeniture, the eldest legitimate son taking all. This eliminates competition and directs ambition outward."

Wu Nanhai, championing merit-based succession, fired back: "Does primogeniture work? Everyone destroys the Crown Prince, then tears each other apart. Or the second son murders the first... We Chinese lack nobility complexes. We believe 'Are kings born of special breed?' Primogeniture carries no magical protection. Let them raise gu—the survivor will be no weakling."

Another proposed cushioning defeated heirs: "Senator children who inherit nothing may become destabilizing. The Senate Foundation should provide housing and allowances..."

"You would turn them into Eight Banner parasites!" Wu Nanhai objected. "If we guarantee children, what of grandchildren? The numbers grow geometrically!"

Ma Jia agreed: "We cannot cultivate a 'Senator Clan.' Senator children receive equal opportunity and finest education. If a man still amounts to nothing with such advantages, he deserves no further attention."

Primogeniture found insufficient support. The clause permitting individual decision remained.

To mitigate palace intrigue, limit maternal interference, and reduce cultural contamination from this era, the Law mandated all Senator children be enrolled in the Academy's Kindergarten at age three and Primary School at age six. Full boarding was required; children could return home only on rest days and holidays.

In final deliberations, someone raised succession for elderly Senators. Since adopted children could inherit, even Senators past reproductive age might use adoption to perpetuate their lineage—potentially passing seats to grandchildren.

Treating elderly Senators differently would violate equality. After heated debate: elderly Senators could adopt heirs, but cross-generation adoption was forbidden. They could adopt other Senators' children or naturalized citizens, but no one older than three. The adoptee must take the Senator's surname.

"A sixty-something auntie raising a child under three—this is the rhythm of killing her," someone muttered.

"Plenty of sixty-year-olds raise children," Ma Jia observed. "Senators have wet nurses; this poses no difficulty. The age restriction minimizes bonds between adopted child and biological parents." Additionally, to prevent adoption becoming a tool for expanding family power, a Senator could surrender only one child for adoption.

(End of Chapter)