Even though they had different ideas, everyone still rushed to Shou'an Hall together. Old Lady Wang was particularly enthusiastic and took the lead, followed closely by her good son-in-law, Master Sheng Hong.
Although she woke up, Old Lady Sheng was extremely weak and could only utter a few words with difficulty. Fang Mama was afraid that she could not bear it, so she did not tell her the truth. The old lady just thought that she was suffering from a sudden illness due to old age. When she saw the Wang family, she said that they were relatives who came to visit her specially, and she tried her best to raise her body to thank them.
Uncle Wang felt guilty and ashamed to accept the old man's gratitude, so he stepped back and stood behind the crowd. Aunt Wang supported Old Madam Wang and stood at the head of the bed, with a hint of mockery in her eyes - his own mother-in-law held Old Madam Sheng's hand and said a lot of caring words. If Doctor Lin had not warned her in advance, she would have pleaded for her daughter at the bedside.
Sheng Hong's performance was no less impressive, he beat his chest and cried bitterly. Among all the filial sons in the capital, he could probably be ranked in the top ten. On the contrary, Wang Shi's cultivation was insufficient. She stood beside her brother with shame on her face, lowered her head, and kept wiping away tears.
The old lady struggled through a series of greetings, some true and some false, until she saw Minglan and Changbai, when her heart was truly filled with joy.
"...I know...you have performed well in your tenure...and done a good job...grandmother is happy..." She looked at her eldest grandson, who was tanned and strong, with her eyes full of pride. Seeing Minglan sobbing beside the bed, she comforted her with difficulty, "...silly child,...you are old...it's inevitable..." Minglan seemed to have a stone stuck in her throat. She held back her tears and tried hard to put on a smile.
People who have just recovered from a serious illness are lacking in energy. After a few words, Old Lady Sheng fell into a deep sleep again. Doctor Lin, with two dark circles under his eyes and newly white hair on his temples, led everyone to the hall outside and said excitedly that the old lady was able to take medicine and eat on her own just now, and she would recover as long as she took good care of herself.
Gu Tingye bowed deeply and thanked him with a smile: "This time, my old man has recovered, thanks to the dedication of the imperial physician. I will remember this kindness. I hope that the imperial physician will spend more time and help guide and take care of the patient in the future."
Doctor Lin bowed in return and said, "Thank you, Lord Gu, for your courtesy. I will do my best to take care of your recovery." This was exactly what he was waiting for. He then said that he had not been back for many days and begged him to go home first so that he could look up medical books and prepare some medicinal herbs for your recovery.
After the matter was agreed, Sheng Hong thanked Doctor Lin profusely and personally sent him out. He also asked the steward to respectfully present him with a thick silver seal. He really wanted to remind him, "Don't tell anyone that my mother was poisoned," but he couldn't say it.
Doctor Lin was a seasoned doctor. Seeing Sheng Hong hesitate, he knew what he meant. He really wanted to say, "Thirty years ago, the princes of the Chong Palace fought for the crown prince position, even resorting to scheming, and he managed to get through it all and survive to this day. And in your family, it was just the women in the inner chambers who poisoned the old lady. What's so surprising about that? It's like a rebellion. How unworldly!"
However, Imperial Physician Lin remained expressionless, stroking his beard and smiling. "They say old children are like old children, and that's absolutely true. The older people get, the greedier they become. Your Madam must control her appetite from now on. Try to eat less sweet, raw, or spicy food."
Sheng Hong was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. He thought to himself that this highly qualified person was different: he was not only professionally competent, but also worldly-wise and eloquent.
After seeing off Doctor Lin, Sheng Hong walked back to the hall with ease. As he reached the door, he heard another quarrel inside.
Old Madam Wang said anxiously, "...Now that the old lady has recovered, why is she so obsessed with your aunt? Grandmother, please, what is that place called the Shenjiesi? Is it a place for people? If you send your aunt there, you're not going to kill her!"
Sheng Hong was startled and immediately stopped walking into the house.
The Shenjiesi, under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Department, was originally used to punish and guard the female members of the imperial family. Later, its purview expanded to include women from the families of the powerful who committed serious offenses, though their crimes were not punishable by death, but who were never allowed to appear before the public. The Shenjiesi was unlike any other nunnery for exiled women; once inside, they were forbidden to leave for life without imperial decree.
It was like a tomb of the living dead, located in a very remote and desolate corner of the imperial city. No matter how big the scandals and turmoil outside were, all the right and wrong would be buried along with the people, and could never be discovered again.
Because the events were shrouded in secrecy, he had only heard of two cases to date. The first involved the disfigurement of the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Jinxiang, who had already been designated for the imperial palace, by the Marquis of Jinyang's wife, who, in order to ensure her daughter's selection, had been chosen. The second involved the personal disfigurement of the Duke of Cheng, who had her two daughters-in-law imprisoned during the reign of Emperor Wu. The specific reason remains unknown.
So far, I haven't heard of any female family member coming out alive after being imprisoned. Most of them have their bodies carried out and buried by their families after they die. To put it bluntly, the three families of Kang, Wang, and Sheng are not qualified to send anyone in. I guess the Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion will have to step in.
His mind was distracted and he missed some of the conversations in the room. He quickly pricked up his ears and listened carefully.
"...Good child, I beg you, I beg you...I know you hate your aunt so deeply. Can't I tell her to go to the nunnery and chant Buddhist scriptures and eat vegetarian food? I can tell her to practice Buddhism with her hair uncut, or even become a nun. I'll never let her come out and harm others again." Old Lady Wang pleaded with tears in her eyes, "She really can't go to the Ministry of Discipline! She has to do hard labor there, pounding rice, washing clothes, chopping wood, and eating coarse tea and stale rice. Your aunt has lived a life of luxury, how can she endure it..."
Changbai said, "The Ministry of Discipline and Respect allows relatives to visit twice a year. If Grandmother visits more often, I think the people there won't make things too difficult for Aunt. As for the hard labor... after committing such an unjust act, how can Aunt still expect to enjoy wealth and honor?"
After a pause, he sneered, "You're still talking about a nunnery? Remember seven or eight years ago, wasn't my aunt sent to the Kang family temple? Only six months later, my grandmother couldn't stand my aunt's pleading anymore and went to the Kang family in person, begging and forcing them to release my aunt."
Aunt Kang is very good at dealing with my mother. She can always persuade her mother to soften her heart. But the state-enforced unit is more trustworthy.
Old Madam Wang angrily said, "You have such a cruel heart! Isn't your grandmother still alive? Why do you have to be so aggressive?"
Changbai retorted sharply, "Grandmother is lucky to have survived, firstly, because of the divine intervention of Heaven and the Buddha, and secondly, because of the meticulous treatment of Imperial Physician Lin. What does this have to do with my aunt? She was determined to kill me!"
"But I survived at least!" Old Lady Wang struggled.
At this time, Gu Tingye interrupted, "Old Madam, you are wrong. People have a hundred ways to live. My old lady has always been strong and healthy, but after your daughter poisoned her, she completely ruined her body and hollowed out her foundation. She could have lived to 118, but now she can only live to 108. She could have enjoyed the theater, watched dances, climbed mountains and visited temples, and spent her later years in peace and contentment. Now she has to rely on herbal medicine and may suffer from lifelong pain. How will your aunt compensate you for this lost life and decades of joy?"
Changbai's face was filled with bitterness and resentment: "My brother-in-law is right. With Quan Ge'er, how can grandma enjoy the pleasure of having grandchildren in the future?"
"Exactly." Gu Tingye clapped his hands and laughed. "It's hard to calculate how much we owe. We don't know how long Auntie will live, and we can't just send her to the underworld years in advance. Or since the old lady is not mobile, it's not right to actually break Auntie's limbs. We might as well send her to the Ministry of Discipline and let the grudge between the three families be written off!"
Old Lady Wang was stunned and astonished - where did the Sheng family find such a magical son-in-law?
Minglan stared blankly at her husband's profile, the corners of her mouth twitching.
"My cousin dealt with my mother so efficiently..." Kang Jin, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up, his face filled with grief and indignation, "What about your mother?"
Mrs. Wang actually wanted to ask the same question, but her youngest daughter had already developed a grudge against her and didn't dare to say it. When she heard her eldest grandson speak, Mrs. Wang, who had originally thought she had escaped, suddenly became furious and glared at Kang Jin.
Changbai said calmly, "My mother was disrespectful to Grandmother and showed unfilial disobedience, so she deserves to be punished. My mother will worship Buddha and recite scriptures to pray for Grandmother."
Wang heaved a sigh of relief and smiled, "That's right, I plan to build a Buddhist temple in the back room..."
"Not at home." Changbai interrupted quickly.
Wang was stunned for a moment, then said awkwardly, "Yes, I made a big mistake. I should find a quiet nunnery in the capital..."
"Not in the nunnery in Beijing either." Changbai looked at his mother and said firmly, "Mother is going back to her hometown, Youyang, to practice in the Sheng family temple, eat vegetarian food, chant Buddhist scriptures, and repent. Except during festivals, mother is not allowed to leave the temple."
Wang cried out, stood up straight, and screamed, "Isn't this going to jail?!"
Changbai said word by word, "If mother won't agree, I will resign. With a mother like this, who refuses to repent and accept punishment after her mistakes, I have no face to continue serving as an official."
Minglan lowered her head in thought.
Wang had always disliked Youyang. Having been married into the Sheng family for decades, she had spent less than a month in her hometown. There, she had no relatives or friends, relying solely on her great uncle's family. Given Wang's relationship with her cousin's wife, her great aunt would likely be willing to sternly urge her to repent. Furthermore, the two families were close, so her great aunt wouldn't neglect Wang's daily needs.
The eldest brother’s way of punishment is excellent.
Wang was anxious and said hurriedly: "...You kid, who are you trying to threaten? If things don't work out at home, can't I just worship Buddha in the nunnery? Why do you insist on going back to my hometown? I'm unfamiliar with the place..."
"Mother, you've left your family and are now alone before the Sheng family's ancestral spirits. Think carefully about your grandmother, think about everyone in your family, and think about what you've done wrong over the past few decades. Should you have done this?" Changbai walked over, gently stroking his mother as she sat down. "Mother knows you, your son. You'll do what you say."
Wang was sweating profusely in panic and stammered, "Then...how long will I have to be gone..."
Minglan counted on her fingers in her sleeve—it didn't count as accessory to murder, but it did count as intentional bodily harm. Doctor Lin said Grandmother would recover, so it was half attempted murder. At least... well, five years in prison...
"Ten years." Changbai said calmly, "After ten years, when Mother has figured things out, she can come back and serve Grandmother."
Minglan took a deep breath and clenched her teeth - he could come out occasionally to celebrate the New Year and other holidays, it wouldn't be considered an excessive sentence, no, no.
Wang almost fainted. She jumped up angrily, pointed at her son and cursed, "You evil creature!" Then she ran out of the house like a gust of wind, covering her face and crying all the way, without even noticing Sheng Hong at the door.
The room suddenly became quiet. Old Lady Wang looked at Changbai for a long time without saying a word. Kang Jin completely shut up.
Sheng Hong listened for a while outside the other room as the grandfather and grandson continued their argument. Old Lady Wang alternately pleaded and scolded, but her son remained unmoved, refusing to budge an inch. After some thought, Sheng Hong decided it would be wise to bypass the front hall and instead go to the inner room to show his filial respect by his mother's bedside, serving her dishes and perhaps tasting the medicine.
Finally, Old Lady Wang was so angry that she left in anger. Uncle Wang asked if he could take Aunt Kang, who was imprisoned in the back room, away first, but was rejected by Changbai. So he had to leave reluctantly with his other nephew Kang Jin.
Minglan was still worried and wanted to see the old lady speak and sit again before leaving. Gu Tingye saw that she did not want to go home at this time, so he asked his father-in-law very generously whether he and his wife could stay for a few more days?
Sheng Hong felt bitter in his heart (as a son-in-law, he had to act like a filial son for a few more days), but he tried hard to look welcoming on his face.
At this time, Hai came with a virtuous face to invite everyone to have lunch, as if nothing had happened. It was just that the younger sister-in-law and her brother-in-law came to stay at her parents' home for a while, and the eldest sister-in-law carefully prepared a delicious meal, and served vegetables and soup with a smile.
Facing his unfilial daughter, sinister son-in-law, expressionless son, and daughter-in-law pretending to be stupid, Sheng Hong ate so much that his throat was choked and his stomach ached. He barely managed to drink some tea after the meal and hurried back to his study.
There were many empty rooms in Shou'an Hall. Fang Mama quickly arranged and tidied up a clean and elegant room according to Minglan's old preferences. Remembering that Minglan had the habit of taking a nap, she even laid out the white straw mat that Minglan liked. Seeing that it was a hot summer day, she was afraid that Minglan and her husband would sweat and feel uncomfortable, so she brought two large buckets of warm water to the side room.
They were both extremely tired, and no romantic thoughts could arise from their bathing. After washing, Gu Tingye stood in the room and looked around for a few times. He smiled at his wife and said, "It is indeed comfortable. Madam, you are so happy that you don't want to leave. I wonder if Madam still remembers that we have a child at home?"
Minglan was lying on her bed, spread out with a thin blanket. Hearing this, she hurled a bamboo pillow at him heavily, scolding him with a smile, "Don't mock me. I miss Tuan'er too. I sleep in my grandmother's room every day, and I only dream of my son!"
Gu Tingye was very happy to be thrown to the ground. He climbed onto the bed happily, holding the bamboo pillow. Minglan untied his hair and gently spread it out. She whispered, "I'm really sorry this time, son, but... well, there's really no other way. I can only take care of one thing. Mother Cui and Cuixiu will definitely take good care of him."
Gu Tingye heard the bitterness in his wife's words and gently stroked her back. "You really scared me this time. You're usually so honest and gentle, but I never thought you would be so reckless. It's like you've become a completely different person."
After reading Gongsun Baishi's letter, he could hardly believe his eyes. She surrounded her mother's house, angrily scolded her biological father, forcibly arrested people, deceived people, interrogated them, and tortured them. Every single thing was a desperate struggle without regard for her own life - is this still the smart and cunning Sheng Minglan who knew how to protect herself and would never do anything wrong?
During the whole journey, he was sometimes happy and sometimes worried. He couldn't even express what was in his mind. He just felt that he had to help her and protect her.
Seeing Minglan lowering her head and not saying anything, Gu Tingye sighed softly: "You still don't want to tell me, forget it..." As he was about to lie down to sleep, Minglan suddenly supported his chest with one hand, looked up at him and said: "I will tell you."
Gu Tingye sat cross-legged on the bed.
"Grandmother, this unprovoked disaster is ultimately due to me," Minglan said solemnly. "Madam has always behaved inappropriately, and Grandmother has been doing this for decades, and we've lived in peace. Aunt Kang hasn't just been here in the past two years. Ever since we moved to the capital, she's often come to talk to Madam. She's been gossiping and stirring things up, but I never see Madam get angry."
The dull chirping of cicadas could be heard outside, and the hot afternoon sun slowly seeped in. There were many tall trees planted around Shou'an Hall, casting mottled branches and leaves on the thin white gauze window, some dark, some light, and some as light as the end of eyebrows.
There were two basins of ice in the corner of the room, emitting a thin layer of water vapor and bringing a cool feeling.
Gu Tingye listened quietly.
"Grandmother never told me, but I know it was Aunt Kang's intention to bring a concubine into the mansion that year that really angered Grandmother." Minglan picked up a palm-leaf fan and gently waved it, a simple yet elegant touch. "Grandmother was furious, disregarding the years of respect between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. She lost her temper, berated Madam in public, and even made her kneel at the entrance of Shou'an Hall, for everyone to watch. From that moment on, Madam must have harbored resentment."
The cool breeze slowly entered the tent along the fan blades, ruffling her fine hair and making the man's arm feel itchy.
"After that, Grandmother was always worried that Madam would be instigated by my aunt to harm me again, so she became even more strict with Madam, even taking away her management power and asking the sisters-in-law to run the household. Madam was the most stubborn and competitive woman in her life, even refusing to yield to the master. Grandmother embarrassed her in public like this, and naturally her resentment grew deeper, which gave Aunt Kang the opportunity to take advantage of her."
Minglan's tone was calm but with a hint of sadness.
"Grandma, what you're doing is wrong. After all, Madam has a daughter-in-law and grandchildren, so she should be given the least respect. Grandma could have just closed the door and taught her properly, explaining everything in detail... In the past, every time Madam made a mistake, Grandma did this."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she seemed oblivious as she continued, "Grandma, why would you want to vent your anger on me? I'm already married and can take care of myself. She's already old enough, and it's good for her to be respected and cared for by her children and grandchildren, and enjoy a stable and comfortable life. Why does she get so upset and angry when she hears I've been wronged? After all, my eldest brother was born to my wife. Isn't she afraid that this will cause a rift between him and her, and ruin her later years?"
Her long eyelashes could no longer hold back the tears, and one drop, then two drops, fell, forming dark circles on the soft cotton blanket. Minglan pressed a handkerchief against her face, slowly absorbing the warm moisture.
"Grandmother truly loves me and worries about me, which is why she brought this disaster upon herself. ... I know what the Marquis is thinking, but I can't lie to myself. That year when I gave birth to Tuan'er, the Madam wanted to burn me to death, and Man Niang wanted to run me over. Then the Marquis came and arranged everything perfectly. I knew it in my heart."
"Because... I didn't, should Man Niang be severely punished?" Gu Tingye's throat was dry and he could hardly finish a sentence.
"Whether or not the punishment is severe is not a big deal." Minglan shook her head slowly, her eyes red. "Then the Marquis said, 'You don't care what Qi Heng is like, you only care about what I think.' Today I'm going to say the same thing to the Marquis: 'What Man Niang is like, I don't care at all. What I care about is what the Marquis does and thinks.'"
The cool air gradually spread into the tent. Minglan put down the palm-leaf fan and gently stroked the banana leaf pattern on it.
"To be fair, the Marquis's handling of Yu Manniang was perfectly appropriate. It not only stopped the gossip from outsiders, prevented those with ulterior motives from taking advantage of the situation, but also kept me out of trouble. Even after careful consideration, I couldn't have found a more appropriate arrangement. But you know, when you're truly concerned about someone, you can make mistakes in a hurry. As the saying goes, concern leads to confusion. Just like Grandmother..."
She raised her head, looking at him with moist eyes. "When you heard that Man Niang was going to hit me to death, did you panic? Did you lose your composure? Even after knowing that I was safe, did you still feel furious and eager to avenge me immediately?"
Gu Tingye was confused and silent.
Minglan's eyes were filled with tears. She covered her face with her sleeves and said sadly, "I know it's wrong to say this, but... I always feel that true love is not based on how many smart things he does, but how many stupid things he does."
Gu Tingye is not Qi Heng, not He Hongwen, not any frivolous and ignorant teenager. He has experienced deception, betrayal, and almost drowning. Because of this, his "concern leads to confusion" is even more precious.
Like Old Lady Sheng, she lived a miserable life and suffered bad treatment, but she was still willing to love and care for a child who was not related to her by blood at all. It was this that drove her to risk her life and go all out for it.
She lowered her sleeves, her face stained with tears, her eyes pleading: "We will grow old together, respecting and loving each other for the rest of our lives. I will definitely be a good wife and a good mother... Let's just live our lives in peace."
After saying this, Minglan lay down on her side, closed her eyes and stopped talking.
Gu Tingye sat leaning against the bed rail, staring at her blankly. Her curled up body was as soft as a willow, quietly buried in the thin blanket.
Suddenly I remembered what she said a long time ago - in this secular world, couples are easily hurt by too much entanglement, and it is best to live a life in peace and ambiguity.
He picked up the palm-leaf fan beside the bed and gently fanned it for her.
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