For a long time after this, Minglan lived a peaceful life. Sheng Hong was kind, Wang was caring, and Rulan was warm. Old Madam Sheng twisted her ear and scolded her with a smile, "Little girl, you are playing tricks!"
Minglan blushed, twisted her fingers, and said embarrassedly, "Grandmother, don't you blame me for such calculations?"
The old lady turned her gaze out the window. Outside, the treetops were covered in fresh green. She said slowly, "Our family is quite peaceful. You haven't seen true 'calculation' yet. Even the filth of the mud pit is cleaner."
Minglan said with a somewhat depressed mood, "Is there no permanent solution? We must be on guard again and again."
A slight smile appeared on the corners of the old lady's wrinkled mouth: "Of course there is, it depends on whether you can be ruthless enough."
Minglan looked up in confusion. The old lady said, "That's all your father wants. The one over there is already quite a few years old. Buy a woman who understands the customs and knows poetry. Don't let her have children. Then marry her."
Minglan was silent for a moment, then sighed softly, "Madam won't agree. It's like cutting your own heart with a knife."
The old lady smiled slightly ironically and said, "Then you can only endure it. If you endure for a while, you will gain a lifetime. If you endure for a lifetime, you will have peace for the rest of your life."
"What if I can't bear it?"
The old lady looked at Minglan, who looked downcast, and said calmly, "Your great-grandmother and I didn't plot anything. I was just too arrogant and disdainful, and she was soft-hearted and couldn't bear it. Later, I couldn't bear it anymore, but she did."
Minglan was silent. Old Lady Sheng's momentary happiness had paid off with half a lifetime of loneliness. None of the people in the mansion with the surname Sheng were her flesh and blood. However, the old lady had endured decades of blood and tears and finally got through it. Now she had many children and grandchildren and lived a peaceful life.
Minglan sighed softly. It would be better for me to let my friend die than for myself. Men should be harder on themselves, and women should be harder on others.
In March, the magpies were chirping on the branches. It was a warm day and Wang was in high spirits these days.
First, Hualan announced the good news. Her pulse was steady and strong, and Madam He was certain it was a boy. Wang, overjoyed, prepared a generous gift and asked Madam Sheng to thank Madam He on Hualan's behalf. Then, she showered Taoist temples with money. The abbot of Guangji Temple was furious when he learned of this. He believed that people should be single-minded in their beliefs. Believing in both Buddhism and Taoism was like serving two husbands, punishable by death! Wang was deeply troubled. She couldn't decide which spirit would provide more support in her life's journey. What if she chose one and the other got upset?
While Wang was worried about her religious issues, Aunt Lin's luck kept going downhill. Because her house arrest order was strictly enforced, her business outside ran into trouble. Business in the capital was not good, and she could not keep her business going without a backer, so she took the money and lent it out at interest, which ended up forcing someone to death and implicated her, and the crime was exposed.
In fact, usury was a legitimate industry in ancient times, but it had a very bad reputation among officials. When Sheng Hong found out about it, he was furious. In a fit of rage, he simply took back all the land and farms that he had given to Aunt Lin and handed them over to the old lady for unified management.
It is said that when Sheng Hong came in angrily, Wang was beating the wooden fish. After Sheng Hong slammed the table and scolded Aunt Lin and left, Wang immediately decided to choose the letter from Buddha. After all, it was also imported, right?
Minglan secretly thought that Sheng Hong still left a way out for Molan and Changfeng. Old Madam Sheng was well-known for her noble character and would definitely not be greedy for the property. She just wanted Aunt Lin to control her arrogance and did not take away the money that Aunt Lin had saved privately over the years.
Afterwards, Aunt Lin beat her chest and stamped her feet through the door, making a fuss for a long time, but Sheng Hong ignored her and decided to ignore her for a year or two.
Wang went to the Duke of Zhongqin's mansion to visit the pregnant Hualan every few days. She always brought a large cart of supplements, and brought back a lot of gossip about the royal noble circle. This greatly enriched the spiritual life of the women of the Sheng family who had just arrived in the capital, so it was not a loss.
In chronological order, first Gu Tingye finally broke up with his family, abandoned his father, mother and wife, and ran away from home alone. It is said that he did not even take his concubine with him. The old Marquis Ningyuan was so angry that he collapsed on the hospital bed, but for the sake of family dignity, the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion had to announce to the public: He went to experience the suffering of the people and practice life.
Minglan felt a little guilty: It should... have nothing to do with me.
Then came a scandal that horrified everyone. One day, the daughter of the Marquis of Fuchang was kidnapped by a group of thugs while out and about. Only one maid escaped. Fortunately, she met Madam Zhao, a Grand Secretary of the Zhongji Palace, and Madam Qian, a Councillor of the Secretariat, who were traveling with her to pay homage. They sent servants to rescue her. The Rong family girl was rescued, but unfortunately...
"Young lady from the Marquis of Fuchang? Could it be Sister Feiyan?" Minglan reacted belatedly.
"Nonsense!" Rulan rolled her eyes at Minglan, then asked carefully, "Could it be...she was...?" Her pause was very artistic.
Hai sighed and said, "Even if there is no one, the girl's reputation is ruined. What a pity! The Rong family only has this one daughter. Marquis Fuchang was so angry that he became paralyzed, and Concubine Rong fainted from crying."
Minglan felt bad too, and asked softly, "Did you catch those thugs?"
Hai shook her head mysteriously and said cryptically, "The Shuntian prefect searched the entire city overnight, but found no trace of him."
Ru Lanqi asked, "Could it be that they can fly and hide? Or are the soldiers just useless?" Hai smiled implicitly and said, "Since little Rongfei's family is in trouble, the soldiers are certainly useful."
Minglan lowered her head and said nothing.
With the strict household registration management system in the capital, let alone a group of ordinary strongmen, even if it was Ximen Chuxue, Shuntian Prefecture and Wucheng Bingmasi would have heard the news long ago; if they still couldn't find out, then that group of so-called strongmen were not the real bad guys!
A few days later, news came out that Rong Feiyan could not bear the humiliation and hanged herself.
A month later, the Duke of Qi's Mansion and the Sixth Prince got married. The eldest princess' daughter-in-law served as the female matchmaker, and the Duke of Liang's son served as the male matchmaker. Qi Heng married the Princess of Jiacheng County. The wedding was ten miles long and half the city was celebrating. The guests were feasted for three days and three nights, and the buffet outside the city stretched for several miles.
That day, Molan, who was under house arrest, looked listless and only ate two bowls of porridge. Rulan turned her grief and anger into appetite and ate three bowls of rice and had a midnight snack. Minglan closed the door of Mucangzhai, dismissed everyone, and took out the things that Qi Heng had given her over the years one by one, wiped them clean, wrapped them properly, put them in a box, and locked it.
In the cool early summer, He Hongwen's mother's condition improved, so Mrs. He sent invitations to the women of the Sheng family to come and visit. Hai was pregnant and suffering from severe morning sickness, Rulan caught a cold, and Wang couldn't leave to take care of them. Molan was under house arrest, so only Mrs. Sheng took Minglan to visit.
When Minglan first met her future mother-in-law, she was worried. However, although He's mother was haggard and pale, and frail, she had a very gentle temper. When she smiled, she was especially similar to He Hongwen, like the soft flowing hot spring water.
He's mother was originally worried that Minglan was a concubine's daughter and would be a little petty and would wrong her son. However, when she saw that Minglan was gentle and kind, with graceful manners and a pair of dimples on the corners of her mouth when she smiled, she looked very playful and cute. Thinking that this girl was raised by Old Lady Sheng, her character must be trustworthy, she liked her. She held Minglan's hand and talked to her with a smile, but stayed away when she coughed slightly, for fear of passing on any illness to Minglan. After knowing that there was a pregnant woman in the Sheng family, she carefully instructed Minglan to take a bath in a herbal soup made of honeysuckle and mugwort after returning home before going to see people.
As for the herbs, they were naturally provided by He Hongwen.
"Brother Hongwen's mother is a very kind person. In fact, her disease is not contagious to others, so why should we be so careful?" Minglan finally breathed a sigh of relief on the way back.
Old Madam Sheng embraced her granddaughter kindly and said with a smile, "Don't worry so early. Even if she doesn't ask her daughter-in-law to serve her in the future, can she rest in peace?"
Minglan thought for a moment, then looked up, blushing slightly, and whispered, "I'm willing to be filial to her. She's lonely being alone, and I can talk to her to cheer her up."
Old Madam Sheng smiled with relief, gently stroking Minglan's hair and said with a smile, "My Ming is a good child."
Minglan buried herself in the old lady's arms and said softly, "I will be filial to her. When she likes me, I can bring you here... for a short stay. Then, Madam He and the others, along with the two of us, can play cards together often, and it won't be lonely anymore."
Old Madam Sheng frowned and scolded, "Nonsense! How could a married girl ask her grandmother to live with her husband's family?"
"Yes, yes!" Minglan raised her head anxiously. "I've already inquired about it. Lord Liu's mother-in-law lives in his house, and he takes care of her like his own mother. The two mothers-in-law must be very good friends!"
Old Madam Sheng laughed: "That's because she has no children and is lonely in her old age, so she lives with her daughter. I have a house full of children and grandchildren."
Minglan lowered her head again and whispered, "That's why it's called a 'short stay'. It's a regular 'short stay'."
The old lady was stunned by what she heard. Her heart felt warm and her eyes seemed to be moist. She said nothing, but just hugged Minglan and rocked her gently, as if she was rocking an ignorant baby.
Hualan's belly was getting bigger day by day, so Minglan started to make small clothes and bellybands for the baby. Rulan was forced by Wang to work with scissors and needlework in Minglan's room for two days, so that her name could be added when the baby was given away.
Minglan lived a very carefree life during this period. In the evening, she talked with the old lady and played cards. During the day, she did needlework, copied some scriptures, and played shuttlecock with Rulan in the garden. Rulan used Minglan to practice, and she was always victorious, so she was naturally in a good mood.
Occasionally, He Hongwen would use the excuse of sending some seasonal herbal supplements to secretly see Minglan. If he was lucky, he could exchange a few words, but if he was unlucky, he could only see her through the curtain. But even so, He Hongwen was also very happy, his fair and handsome face flushed, and he went home happily, looking back every few steps.
Molan was in a good position to hear this. On the second day after her house arrest ended, Wang brought some new gossip from Hualan. It was very exciting and explosive. It said that Qi Heng and Princess Jiacheng were living in great discord. The princess was arrogant and not only beat and sold servants (female) at will, but also made the eldest wife of the Duke of Qi's Mansion unable to raise their heads. On one occasion, it seemed that Qi Heng intended to take in a young maid. The next day, Princess Jiacheng found an excuse to beat the maid to death with a stick.
Qi Heng was furious. He packed up his bedding and went to sleep in the study. No matter how the princess cried and made a scene, he refused to sleep with her. This stalemate lasted for two months. Later, Princess Pingning fell ill and persuaded Qi Heng to go back to his room after she had stayed by her bedside.
"Hehe, this is the good daughter-in-law chosen by the princess!" After Rulan finished conveying it, she proudly added her own thoughts.
Molan was more poetic. She lowered her brows and frowned slightly, sighing tenderly, "Poor brother Yuanruo! It's not easy at the Duke of Qi's mansion." She came to apologize to Minglan and expressed her hope to restore their close sisterly relationship. Of course, Minglan "sincerely" agreed.
Minglan said calmly, "You can get your money back in the future." It's just a political investment, everyone gets what they need, and no one needs to say who is pitiful.
The day to recoup the investment soon arrived.
The old emperor, who had been seriously ill, finally made up his mind. On his deathbed, he ordered the Ministry of Clan Affairs to re-establish the Jade Butterfly, asking the Third Prince to adopt the Sixth Prince's youngest son as his heir. At the same time, he opened the granaries to release grain to show that the whole world was celebrating. This action was equivalent to announcing that the crown prince had been decided.
"Amitabha, Your Majesty is truly wise!" Hai began to follow Wang in worshiping the Buddha. "Finally, we have an answer to this matter. If it keeps dragging on like this, people will be uneasy."
Minglan complained in her heart: The emperor is naturally wise. If he is not wise, can he be called the emperor?
That night, Wang prepared a banquet at home and invited the whole family to have a meal. Sheng Hong was overjoyed and drank several cups in a row, praising the great emperor several times with a loud voice. Even Changbai couldn't help but recite a passage from "Taizu Xun" with a stern face. Changfeng composed a poem on the spot, highly praising the old emperor's wise decision and far-reaching influence.
"Are you so happy?" Rulan, who is extremely insensitive to politics, was a little puzzled.
"Of course, of course." Minglan's face flushed from drinking, and she said with a smile, "The people have a master to kowtow to, the officials have someone to be loyal to, and the country has a goal to work towards. Everyone is happy!"
Everyone was indeed happy. The Duke of Qi's family alone set off firecrackers worth tens of thousands of taels of silver. The entire capital was decorated with lights and was in a festive mood, except for the miserable Fourth Prince's family. However, they were family after all, and with the good communication of Concubine De and Concubine Shu, the two brothers sobbed and reconciled in front of the old emperor.
It's a pity that the Right Chief Secretary of the Fourth Prince's Palace and the two lecturers of the Fourth Prince were used as cannon fodder because they offended the Third Prince. They have been dismissed from their posts and investigated to settle old scores.
This is the rule of the royal family. If the little princes are not good at studying, it is the little tutors who are beaten. When the princes grow up, if they make mistakes, it is the palace maids and eunuchs around them who are beaten to death. After they become adults, the princes will intrigue and fight for power, and the first to bear the brunt of the cannon fodder are naturally the lackeys.
Minglan deeply admires those predecessors who traveled through time and space safely and soundly among the princes in high-risk situations. Now the situation is deteriorating, and each generation is worse than the previous one. Look at what she has done!
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