Chapter 1668 — Senator Marriage and Inheritance Law (III)
Section 9
The group discussions on the Marriage and Inheritance Law swiftly devolved into fierce rhetorical combat. Primogeniture versus merit, technical safeguards for testamentary intent, the flourishing of family dynasties, the "Millennium Prosperity" of the Senate—quotations from classics and precedents flew thick from every faction.
Ma Jia stood apart, dazed. His discussion group happened to be near the Great Library contingent, and Senator Cheng's voice carried clearly: "concubine-mothers," "mistresses," "poisoning," "murder," "slander," "patricide," "the Jingnan Campaign," "the Fourth Prince," "Xuanwu Gate"... The words drifted in an unending stream. From another direction rose Wu Nanhai's piercing tenor: "History proves the Manchu Qing's secret designation system represents a very advanced inheritance mechanism..."
Ma Jia sighed with quiet melancholy. He had known it would come to this. What everyone truly cared about was the immortality of their own DNA.
In the view of legal professionals who had drafted this law, both the organizational structure and inheritance framework concealed serious vulnerabilities. Ma Jia's concern was not accusations of "dictatorship." In legal circles, the Senate's fundamental problem was not autocracy but the extraordinary premise of "Senatorial Sanctity."
As long as that binding spell remained, latent dangers were inevitable. The Senate's system was, in his estimation, if not the worst possible, certainly among them. Of course, "Senatorial Sanctity" was political correctness. The principle might be refined at margins, but its root could never be denied—not without ending his career. And his position was already precarious: the Arbitration Tribunal's abolition during structural discussions foreshadowed his faction's declining influence.
You hate law so much, he grumbled silently, yet fail to understand that every nation surviving a century develops a mature system and implements the Rule of Law!
"Executive Ma, the Executive Committee discussion is about to begin..." An Xi appeared beside him, looking apprehensive. With the Tribunal abolished, his position as Director would cease to exist. His qualifications were insufficient for a judgeship. Administrative work remained available, but status would be vastly diminished.
An Xi's fate and his own were not so different. Ma Jia gazed skyward: Those who know me say my heart is troubled; those who do not ask what I seek.
The Executive Committee session had already begun. Besides Committee members, Wang Luobin sat among them, freshly returned from Sanya. Ma Jia entered, exchanged greetings, and studied the assembled gentlemen. Engineer Zhan frowned; everyone else maintained expressions of careful neutrality—placid as chrysanthemums, faintly smiling. Each heart as treacherous as mountain passes, each breast as deep as a fortified city. Power was indeed a fine instructor.
Ma Qianzhu was speaking: "...I have no objection to the inheritance law itself, provided everyone agrees it serves our purpose—the premise being stability within the Senate, especially unity among the next generation..."
Ma Jia sat beside Wang Luobin. Years of construction work and daily swimming in Sanya had transformed the man into a dark, robust figure. Word was he had just fathered his fourth child.
"Engineer Wang, what approach do you favor?" Ma Jia asked quietly.
"Me? Eldest son takes everything—saves the headache. Having princes and princesses clawing at each other sounds exhausting."
While the two murmured, a note passed in from outside and circulated quickly: Senator You Laohu and ten co-signers had submitted a motion demanding immediate drafting of "Senator Retirement Regulations"—specifically, that Senators reaching sixty, upon request, need not participate in active work but would continue enjoying all privileges until death.
Si Kaide frowned. "Thinking of retirement already? Isn't it early?"
Xiao Zishan laughed dismissively. "People grow old eventually..."
Ma Jia glanced around. Everyone understood what the motion signified, yet no one seemed willing to address it.
Wen Desi smiled. "Retirement regulations? This is Xiang Zhuang performing his sword dance—the true intent lies elsewhere. Some comrades are deeply dissatisfied with the inheritance law. Comrade Ma Jia, perhaps you could comment."
Ma Jia nodded. "Chairman Wen, you are correct. Frankly, I am not entirely satisfied myself. But the clauses were not drafted according to my preferences—they reflect collective sentiments."
"Those sentiments are unreliable," Wen Desi replied. "Everyone knows what this clause is truly about. To prevent one family from commanding four votes, people conveniently forget other families already hold three. This feels inequitable. Moreover, we have several unmarried female Senators. Director, you seem to have two or three visiting your residence regularly—that means acquiring three votes immediately..."
"Chairman Wen, I must reiterate: my relationship with Comrades Du Wen and Tang Tang is purely professional..." Ma Qianzhu interjected.
"Any single male Senator marrying a female Senator instantly becomes a two-vote household. The leverage is considerable. Should we prohibit intermarriage? Otherwise it's unfair to those marrying naturalized citizens! I have said many times that our Senate has developed a tendency to regulate heaven, earth, and reproductive organs. These are Senators—you forbid them from passing seats to grandchildren, insisting they adopt strangers. Who could accept this? Young Senators may designate heirs, yet the elderly may not—what twisted logic?"
"The issue was debated previously," Ma Jia explained. "The consensus was that elderly Senators already have children, so awarding additional seats seemed inappropriate. This view commanded a clear majority..."
"On a bill affecting vital interests, shouldn't we provide more options?"
"That is precisely why this remains a draft. Senators may freely propose amendments. Final form will be determined by vote. I can state clearly: my colleagues and I oppose any discriminatory policies."
"The problem is, if elderly Senators receive unrestricted inheritance rights, is that not unfair to single Senators?"
"No. I believe we place too much weight on 'family' and forget these are first and foremost Senators," Ma Qianzhu said. "We should speak less of 'family,' more of 'individual.' Every Senator strives for our great cause. Viewing someone with suspicion merely because they belong to a certain bloodline is counterproductive—it strengthens clan consciousness, which we should discourage."
Zhan Wuya added: "Our older comrades hold traditional morality in high regard. If this regulation passes—leaving aside female Senators—male reproductive capability can persist into old age. Men originally content to live quietly may find younger relatives instigating them to acquire Life Secretaries... Is this not destroying families?"
Si Kaide chimed in: "With ingenuity, there are plenty of circumvention methods. Besides, adoption is problematic—it effectively becomes political marriage alliance."
"Regarding older comrades," Ma Qianzhu said, "even ordinary auntie Senators have contributed greatly. The tasks were humble—cooking, washing, cleaning when everything awaited rebuilding. Now many distrust natives and naturalized citizens, so childcare falls to these aunties. On that basis alone, we should not constrain their rights... People age hoping for descendants. I propose amending the draft to reassure them and uphold equality among Senators..."
No further objections arose. Ma Jia asked: "What about the Retirement Regulations?"
"Those can be added as well. Retirement is human nature. But enforcement depends on individual will—as long as someone can contribute, we will not compel retirement." Wen Desi paused. "Administrative positions may carry age limits to prevent eighty- or ninety-year-olds serving on the Executive Committee. Let us avoid 'Long Live' theatrics..."
The Senator Marriage and Inheritance Law ultimately passed harmoniously. Inheritance rights for elderly Senators were freed from blood restrictions; they could adopt anyone as heir, the sole requirement being that the adoptee take the Senator's surname. Whether succession followed primogeniture or merit remained unresolved, left to each family. Technically, a "full black box" approach was adopted: both inheritance mode and heir list were classified as top-secret, held by the Heraldry Court. Upon death, the General Office would retrieve and publicly read the document under Senate supervision. If no specific list existed, a standing committee would select an heir according to principles the Senator had left.
The Senator Retirement Regulation likewise passed—everyone understood it to be merely a gesture.
(End of Chapter)