What was the difference between a legitimate son and a bastard son in ancient times?

In ancient times, the difference between legitimate sons and illegitimate sons was mainly reflected in their status and inheritance rights. A legitimate son was a son born from the wife. He enjoyed the highest status and authority and was regarded as the main line of the family and the legal heir of his father. They had the right to inherit the family's property and status. A concubine's son was a son born from a concubine. He had a lower status and was regarded as a branch of the family and the illegal heir of his father. The son of a concubine had limited inheritance rights. He could only inherit a small portion of his father's property and could only be separated after his father died. Di sons had a higher social status and enjoyed more respect and honor, while the status of illegitimate sons was relatively lower and sometimes even discriminated against. Therefore, the difference between a legitimate son and a concubine's son was obvious in ancient times.

The difference between a legitimate son and a illegitimate son was mainly reflected in two aspects: the identity and status of the biological mother, and the difference in inheritance rights and rights. Di son was a child born by the wife, while Shu son was a child born by a concubine or aunt. The status of a legitimate son was higher, and he enjoyed more rights and benefits, including priority in the inheritance of the family. In the family inheritance, the eldest son had priority over the eldest grandson, the eldest grandson had priority over the second son, and the second son had priority over the illegitimate son. Sons of concubines had relatively lower inheritance rights and rights. They could only rely on legitimate sons to survive or gain social recognition through their own efforts. In ancient society, the difference between a legitimate son and a concubine's son was quite large. It involved family status, inheritance rights, social status, and so on.

The difference between a Di son and a Shu son was mainly reflected in their status and rights. Di sons were the children of the main wife. They had a higher status and had the opportunity to inherit their father's title, fief, official position, and property. A concubine's son was the child of a concubine or aunt who was lower than the main wife. Their status was lower and they usually did not have the opportunity to inherit the throne or important family property. In ancient society, legitimate sons enjoyed more advantages than illegitimate sons in terms of inheritance rights, social status, educational resources, family relationships, marriage choices, and legal protection. This difference was determined by the social structure and cultural concepts of the time. The difference between Di sons and Shu sons was also reflected in the order of inheritance. Di sons had priority over Shu sons. Generally speaking, the status of Di children was higher than that of Shu children, and they enjoyed more rights and advantages.

The difference between a legitimate son and a concubine's son was mainly reflected in their inheritance rights and status. Di son referred to the child born from the father and the wife, possessing unquestionable inheritance rights and the highest status. Whether it was the title of nobility or the family property, the legitimate son enjoyed the greatest inheritance rights. A concubine's son was a child born from a father and a concubine or aunt. They had no inheritance rights and could only inherit a small portion of their father's property. They could only be separated after their father died. In the family, the status of a legitimate son was much higher than that of a concubine's son. Whether it was treatment or reputation, they could not surpass a legitimate son. The status of a Di daughter was also much higher than that of a Shu daughter. When a Di daughter got married, she would have a more glorious treatment. Generally speaking, the legitimate son had the right of inheritance and the highest status in the family, while the illegitimate son had no right of inheritance and could only rely on the legitimate son to survive.

The difference between a Di son and a Shu son was mainly reflected in their status and rights. Di sons were the children of the emperor's main wife. They had a higher status and had the opportunity to inherit their father's title, fief, official position, and property. A concubine's son was the child of a concubine or aunt who was lower than the main wife. Their status was lower and they usually did not have the opportunity to inherit the throne or important family positions. The Di son bore the heavy responsibility of being the successor of the family and enjoyed more rights and priority. The rights of a bastard son were lesser, and the inheritance rights were also limited. The difference between Di son and Shu son was very important in the feudal society's patriarch system.

In ancient times, the difference between a concubine's son and a legitimate son was their status and inheritance rights. A legitimate son was the son of the main wife. He enjoyed the highest status and authority in the family and was regarded as the main line of the family and the legal heir of his father. They had the right to inherit the family's property, titles, and official positions. A concubine's son was a son born to a concubine or a concubine. His status was lower and he was regarded as a branch of the family and the illegal heir of his father. Sons of concubines had limited inheritance rights and often could not enjoy the same inheritance rights as legitimate sons. In addition, legitimate sons were more respected and honored in society. They were regarded as the representatives of the orthodox family and enjoyed a high social status and respect. Sons of concubines, on the other hand, needed to strive for social status and wealth through their own efforts and talents. In short, there were obvious differences in status and inheritance rights between the sons of concubines and legitimate sons in ancient times.

A son born from a concubine was not a legitimate son. A concubine's son referred to a son born to a concubine, while a legitimate son referred to a son born to a legitimate wife. The status of a concubine's son was lower than that of a legitimate son. Generally, he could not accept the sacrifices of the ancestral temple and inherit the status of his father and grandfather. Therefore, the son of a concubine did not have the status of a legitimate son.

Li Shimin was Li Yuan's legitimate son. Li Shimin was the son of Li Yuan's wife, not the son of a concubine. According to the system of inheritance of the eldest son in ancient feudal society, the legitimate son was qualified to inherit the family business. Therefore, Li Shimin, as Li Yuan's legitimate son, had the qualifications to inherit the throne.

Fan Sizhe was Fan Jian's legitimate son. According to the information provided, Fan Sizhe had become Fan Jian's legitimate son after his mother, Liu Ruyu, had been made his official wife. Although Fan Sizhe had an older brother before him, he died young, so Fan Sizhe became Fan Jian's heir. Therefore, Fan Sizhe was a legitimate son, not a bastard son.

Fan Sizhe was Fan Jian's legitimate son. According to the information provided, Fan Sizhe had become Fan Jian's heir after his mother, Liu Ruyu, had been made his official wife. Although Fan Sizhe had an older brother before him, he died young, so Fan Sizhe became Fan Jian's legitimate son. Therefore, Fan Sizhe was a legitimate son, not a bastard son.