Ding Yun had always intended to let each married child establish their own household independently, but she hadn't mentioned it due to the rarity of such practice outside of the imperial family. She had planned to see how things developed over the next couple of years. If the family remained stagnant and uneventful, she might have initiated a more thorough division of the household.
However, the persistent refusal from her two sons and three daughters-in-law not only displeased Ding Yun but also alerted her to their stubbornness, which she believed would hinder the younger generation's initiative and value creation. Thus, she decided to go all the way and divide the household completely.
She then intended to use her annual income of forty thousand taels as rewards to encourage them to be proactive, create value, and compete with each other, thereby revitalizing the current stagnant family and motivating everyone to work hard.
As Ding Yun spoke, the younger descendants who had been recently summoned and were unaware of the situation began to have mixed feelings. Some were happy, some unhappy, some willing, some unwilling. Their stance depended on whether they desired freedom and whether the current division was beneficial or detrimental to them.
To speak of emotional attachment to such a large family and reluctance to part ways would be a joke. Interests always dictated attitudes.
In the next moment, some began to play the emotional card, expressing their unwillingness to leave and lamenting that the family would be completely broken apart if divided.
"Please don't mind them, you've seen it all. This household is still under my authority. Have you brought the household registration documents? Divide them into separate households. Married individuals will form their own households, no exceptions. Those not yet married will temporarily remain with their parents and on the same household registration. Whatever is due to them will be managed by their parents for now."
After instructing the person in charge of household registration, Ding Yun turned to a junior from the imperial clan and her son.
"Since the division is quite detailed, if we followed the old tradition of giving illegitimate children only ten percent of the family property, by the time it reached the great-grandchildren of illegitimate children, there would be hardly any money left. Living in the capital is not easy, and they might not be able to survive. I've also reviewed the account books; the family's total assets are around three hundred thousand taels. Without distinguishing between males and females, and not counting the daughters-in-law, each person would receive less than four thousand taels on average. In the capital, a house costs at least one thousand to eight hundred taels. To prevent the illegitimate children from being unable to afford a house and having no place to live, each illegitimate descendant will receive three thousand taels in assets, while the legitimate ones will receive four thousand taels. If there's any surplus after that, we'll see if it's enough to increase the dowry for all unmarried girls in the family to five thousand taels. If not, I'll add some more later. At least their dowries must be fully prepared."
This was the consequence of having a large family, insufficient avenues for income, and a lack of frugality. With three hundred thousand taels in assets, even without counting daughters-in-law and married daughters, the average share per person was less than four thousand taels. No wonder Emperor Wu's Edict of Recommendation for Benevolence was effective. When there were many incompetent offspring, a simple division would leave nothing. The ancestor of Liu Bei in the late Han Dynasty had over a hundred sons; by Liu Bei's generation, wasn't he forced to sell straw sandals? Therefore, no matter how much ancestral wealth there was, it was useless. It was crucial for future generations to be capable. Otherwise, one had to be ruthless, deliberately reducing descendants, or have the family fortune inherited solely by the direct lineage of the eldest son, with others receiving a pittance and left to fend for themselves or seek their own fortune.
At this moment, Ding Yun's sons and daughters-in-law, who would only receive four thousand taels, were even more displeased. They repeatedly objected, arguing that such a division would shatter the family fortune and that it would be better to divide the property according to the previously proposed ratio of four, three, and three among the three families, leaving the younger generations to handle their own affairs for now.
This was akin to Ding Yun wanting to open a window earlier, and they refused, but now that she was about to break down the door, they reluctantly agreed to open the window, as such a division by Ding Yun was even more disadvantageous to them. However, Ding Yun was not one to compromise.
She rolled her eyes at them and shook her head, continuing, "It's too late. My decision is made. And I am informing you, not discussing it with you. Don't tell me about the insufficient assets or the inability to survive. Having more money means living a certain way, and having less money also means living a certain way. You won't starve to death anyway. It's understandable for the younger ones to find life difficult. But you, don't cry poverty to me. I don't believe you, who have lived for over seventy years, have no private savings. If you truly have none, then you deserve it. Furthermore, this division might be slightly unfair to the unmarried children. So, when they get married, if I am still alive, I will add to their portion. Prince Qi, please proceed with the division as I've instructed!"
Ding Yun had invited people from the imperial clan and those managing household registration specifically to avoid wasting time on them. While it was difficult for descendants to divide a family, it was easy for parents to do so with the help of professionals.
The household registration was quickly divided and processed. The division of assets, however, proved more challenging, as it involved dividing among over seventy people, not just three families. Moreover, the assets included land, farms, shops, and various cumbersome items from the family treasury. The valuation of these items was influenced by many factors, making the appraisal and division quite troublesome. For instance, the price of land and farms depended on their geographical location and fertility, shops were affected by location and size, and other miscellaneous items were influenced by trends, material costs, and other factors. Fortunately, most items had a unit price below four thousand taels. Those exceeding four thousand taels could be directly allocated to families with several unmarried children.
After nearly four hours of work, the family assets were finally completely divided. Ding Yun then announced that they would have one month to find housing and move out. Since they would have to move out eventually, it was better to adapt to living independently a few years earlier. After the division, as long as they were not on the verge of starvation, they should not return for help, and even if they did, they should not come to her.
However, Ding Yun added a final clarification: "Of course, if you truly lack the ability to earn a living and have some ambition, you can seek help from me. As long as your requests are not excessive and you are genuinely seeking guidance, I can arrange for some tutors to teach you. This is the last bit of help I will offer. That's all, you may leave..."
Indeed, considering that some of them might genuinely lack skills and only be able to deplete their inherited wealth, Ding Yun had left them a way out: they could receive free vocational training from her. Regardless of what they wished to learn, she would find tutors for them, or even teach them herself if necessary. If, after all this, someone claimed they couldn't survive or even led their small family to ruin and became destitute, they would truly have no one to blame but themselves. After all, she had provided both financial support and promised free skills training. If they still couldn't make a living, who could they blame? Only themselves!