When Manager Lai Fu went to wait for Sheng Hong outside the Censorate, Sheng Hong was planning to have a few drinks with a few newly assigned young men, to build relationships and develop personal power. However, Lai Fu came to report urgently, so Sheng Hong had to return home in a hurry.
Molan was detained. Aunt Lin had no way to verify her statement and could not do anything, so she planned to wait at the gate of the mansion and cry to Sheng Hong first. However, Hai was well prepared. She asked Lai Fu, the steward, to lead Sheng Hong in through the side door on the pretext that the road was close, and went to Mu Cang Zhai to see Minglan first.
Sheng Hong saw Minglan leaning on the soft couch, with a clear palm print on her white jade-like face. The little girl seemed to be frightened and she was shaking and tugging at her sleeves in fear, tears streaming down her face. Sheng Hong listened to an eloquent maid beside him crying and explaining the whole story, and then looked at the mess in the room with broken cups and bowls scattered all over the floor. His face suddenly darkened.
"Where are the people?" Sheng Hong asked in a deep voice.
Hai bowed respectfully and whispered, "Mrs. Lin was anxious and worried that Fourth Sister would suffer, so she refused to let Madam take her away. So I took matters into my own hands and took Fourth Sister to my own room. I'll make my own decision when Father returns."
Sheng Hong nodded in satisfaction. Thinking of the years of grievances between Wang and Aunt Lin, he worried that there might be something fishy going on. He looked hesitant. Hai glanced at him sideways and said gently, "My wife arrived later and doesn't know the truth about this matter. Father, please ask Fourth Sister and don't wrongly accuse her."
Sheng Hong thought so too, and told a few maids to take good care of Minglan, then waved his sleeves and went out. Hai Shi hurriedly followed, and called Danju and Luzhi. The group came to the main house, which Hai Shi had already arranged.
Inside the main room, Wang was sitting on the upper seat, patting her chest and breathing heavily, with Liu Kun's wife standing next to her, and Lin concubine and her son and her three children standing below. Xiang concubine and her son, and all the maids and servants were driven out, leaving only a few trusted servants standing at the door. Sheng Hong knew that family disgrace should not be made public, and secretly sighed that his daughter-in-law acted cautiously.
Sheng Hong walked in without a word. Aunt Lin had been wiping her tears, but when she saw Sheng Hong walking by, she hurried to pull him aside, crying, "Master—" Before she could finish, Hai stepped forward, walked over to Aunt Lin, pulled her back, and said with a smile, "Master put aside important official business to rush back. You have to let him speak first."
Aunt Lin's eyes filled with tears, and she trembled as she said, "Madam, is it possible that I can't even say a word? I can't just watch Fourth Young Lady suffer injustice and no one say a word."
Hai's eyes were kind, and she smiled, "I invited everyone here today because I wanted everyone to have a clear discussion in front of the master. We are all family, and we are close relatives. What is there to explain? If there are any mistakes, the master will handle them. If there are any misunderstandings, we can talk it out. Isn't it better to still be on good terms? However, Aunt Lin, I heard that you rushed over after the Queen Mother arrived, so I'm afraid you didn't see what happened to the fourth and sixth sisters. What do you want to say now?"
Aunt Lin was suddenly speechless. Hai hadn't said anything yet, so she didn't even have the chance to complain.
Sheng Hong walked forward and sat down at the top. He first looked at Molan. She was intact, without a single scar, but looked a little flustered. Then he looked at the little Changdong next to him. There were several blisters on his tender left cheek, as if he had been burned. His right hand was wrapped in gauze, and his face seemed to be in pain. Finally, he looked at Changfeng. He looked hesitant. Sheng Hong was immediately furious. He raised his hand and threw a tea bowl at Changfeng. The tea bowl broke at his feet, and Changfeng jumped a few steps in shock.
Sheng Hong cursed angrily, "You've become so successful! Instead of studying hard in the study, you've been playing with other women all day long. Now you've even gotten involved in the affairs of the women in the inner chambers. Do you have any shame? You've read the books of the saints and ended up with nothing! What's the use of you? Get out of here now, and I'll settle the score with you later!"
Chang Feng turned pale with fright and staggered out.
After Sheng Hong finished scolding his son, he looked at Molan and shouted, "Fourth girl, kneel down."
Molan fell to her knees with tears in her eyes and started to defend herself hastily: "Father, please understand. I just had a quarrel with my sixth sister. I was furious and didn't know how to control my hands and feet during the fight. I didn't mean it. But the madam wanted to punish me, and my aunt couldn't bear it, so we made a scene. I know I was wrong. Please punish me, father. Don't blame my third brother and my aunt. They... they all love me." As she spoke, she started to cry, looking pitiful.
Sheng Hong's face froze, and he thought about how children fighting would indeed care about the severity of the situation. He frowned and said, "But others don't say that."
Aunt Lin covered her sleeves and cried quickly, "The maids in the Sixth Miss's courtyard will naturally side with their own master."
Sheng Hong looked hesitant. Seeing this, Hai suddenly chuckled and said respectfully to Sheng Hong, "Father, our fourth brother was there at the time. Why don't we ask him?" Sheng Hong was a cautious person. Since he became the Tongzhi, he rarely listened to others' opinions. He felt that his wife's words made sense, so he immediately asked Changdong, "Tell me, what happened at that time?"
Aunt Lin and Molan looked at each other and their faces darkened.
Concubine Xiang lowered her head and gently pinched Changdong's arm with her sleeve. Changdong understood and walked forward with his head lowered. He raised his head. Although there were no tears on his face, he spoke with tears in his voice and clearly recounted what had happened: "...I was about to leave, and I was afraid I might miss something, so I went to ask Sixth Sister what I should take to Youyang. Xiaotao had just made a bowl of hot tea when Fourth Sister arrived..."
Changdong's speech was not fluent, but he was very meticulous, explaining every detail and every action clearly, even Molan calling Minglan a "little bitch" and a "little whore". Such detailed descriptions could not be made up, and his uneven retelling made it more credible. Aunt Lin tried to interrupt several times, but was stopped by Hai.
Sheng Hong's face became increasingly ugly. When Changdong said Minglan was leaving, Molan chased after her and slapped her. He could no longer bear it and slammed his palm on the table, cursing, "You evil creature!"
Molan was trembling with fear, unable to speak. Aunt Lin, realizing the urgency of the situation, immediately knelt down and cried to Changdong, "Fourth Young Master, everyone in the mansion knows that you and Sixth Young Lady are close friends. Sixth Young Lady made you her winter cotton-padded shoes and summer handkerchiefs. Your Fourth Sister neglected to care for you, but you didn't have to do this... this... Aren't you going to harm your Fourth Sister?"
No matter how dumb little Changdong was, he could tell that Aunt Lin was accusing him of lying and showing favoritism. His face flushed crimson, and he knelt down before Sheng Hong, stiffening his neck and saying, "Everything I said is true! ... If I tell a lie, call me, call me..." Changdong felt that he had a clear conscience, and said in a strong voice, "I will never pass the imperial examination!"
"Nonsense!" Hai quickly covered Changdong's mouth and cursed, "You're talking nonsense too?"
Concubine Xiang also knelt down crying and kowtowed repeatedly to Sheng Hong: "Master, no one knows a son better than his father. You know the Fourth Young Master best. He... he is just an honest guy. He can't even speak clearly on weekdays. How could he lie?!"
For a scholar with ambitions for a career in government, this oath was no less vicious than the oath of 'the whole family being wiped out'. Although Sheng Hong was furious at his youngest son's impatience, he was even more convinced of the oath. He softened his expression, offered a few words of comfort, and had Concubine Xiang and her son helped down. Before they left, Xiao Changdong choked up and said, "...Later, Fourth Sister even picked up some broken porcelain from the ground and tried to scratch Sixth Sister's face..."
The words faded at the door and they went out, but everyone in the room changed their expressions. A fight between two sisters was a matter of upbringing, but destroying the younger sister's appearance was a matter of character. Liu Kun's family was quick-eyed and quick-handed. He reached out and grabbed Molan's right hand, and quickly flipped it over. Under the light, they saw that there were shallow scratches on Molan's right thumb, index finger and middle finger. Song Ci didn't need to intervene, everyone could see that it was caused by handling a sharp knife.
Sheng Hong's eyes were icy, and his voice shot towards Mo Lan like a sharp sword. He whispered, "Fourth girl, your father has one last question for you. Do you agree or disagree with what Dong Ge'er just said?"
Molan's face turned frighteningly pale, and she was shaky and almost fainted. She looked up and saw her father, who had always loved her, staring at her fiercely. Her lips trembled and she whispered, "Yes." Then her body tilted and she fell to one side. Aunt Lin rushed over and hugged her daughter's body.
Sheng Hong's face turned livid, and without even a glance at them, he threatened to lay down the family law. Aunt Lin, weeping and waving her arms, dismissed the maids on either side, and cried harshly, "Even if the fourth young lady was the first to strike, Master should still inquire about the reason! Ask Madam how she is biased and what injustice she has done."
"Bullshit!" Wang, after enduring for a long time, finally burst into a curse. "Your own daughter is not up to the standard, and you want to blame it on others. You're a bastard who gave birth to a bastard. The fourth girl is just like you!"
Seeing victory was in sight, Wang couldn't stand the provocation anymore, and Hai almost sighed. She suddenly remembered that when she was joking with Minglan, Minglan said, "I'm not afraid of opponents like wolves, but I'm afraid of teammates like pigs." She now felt from the bottom of her heart that this sentence was true, but she also felt that it would be disrespectful to her mother-in-law to do so, so she endured and suppressed the thought.
As expected, Sheng Hong frowned when he heard Wang's scolding. At this moment, Aunt Lin had already crawled to his knees, tugging at the hem of his robe, and crying sadly: "Master, I know that Madam has always looked down on me, but it has been twenty years. I bowed my head to serve tea, knelt to fetch water, and served Madam honestly. I dared not be careless in any way. Even if I have a million faults, Madam, you must give face to the Buddha! How can you vent your anger on the fourth girl? After all, she is also Madam's... "Even though she is not as good as the fifth lady, she is still as good as the sixth lady! The fourth lady has already reached the age of marriage. Today, there are distinguished guests coming. Why don't you ask the fourth lady to come out to meet them? Poor fourth lady, her two younger sisters are already settled, but she was born in a useless belly like me, which has caused the dislike of the mistress and delayed her until now. Now she is so angry that she is looking for the fault of the sixth lady? Although it is not right, it is understandable! Master, everyone in this mansion wants to step on us, you have to take charge for us!"
As she spoke, tears streamed down her beautiful face. Aunt Lin was crying like a pear blossom in the rain. Sheng Hong couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. Wang was so angry that her whole body was shaking, shaking her fingers non-stop: "You, you... How dare you be so shameless? The wife of the Marquis of Yongchang wanted to see Minglan herself, what does it have to do with me? She looked down on the fourth girl, is it my fault?!"
Aunt Lin looked aggrieved and resentful, choking with sobs as she said, "I can't go out and visit the ladies, but I also know that when people choose a daughter-in-law, 70% of it is based on words and 30% on appearance. If Madam says a few good words for the Fourth Young Lady, it's not right! Madam, please be kind and help the Fourth Young Lady for the sake of the master. This is her lifelong concern! You can hit her or scold her if you want, I kowtow to you!"
As he spoke, he began to kowtow, his forehead turning red. Sheng Hong's expression relaxed, and Molan also woke up slowly, pulling Aunt Lin and sobbing, looking truly pitiful.
Since she came into the house, Hai saw Aunt Lin's ability for the first time and couldn't help but admire her secretly in her heart. No wonder her mother-in-law asked her to hold on for twenty years. She was really capable and resourceful. She could even turn a clear matter into black and white. It was obviously Minglan who suffered the loss, but after her defense, it turned out that Molan was the one who was wronged.
Thinking of this, Hai winked at Liu Kunjia, who immediately understood. She went over and gently supported Wang, rubbing her back slowly, determined not to let Wang speak again.
Seeing Sheng Hong's embarrassed expression, Hai took a few steps forward, bowed in front of Sheng Hong, and said softly, "Dad, why don't you ask your daughter-in-law to say a few words." Sheng Hong was silent for a while and nodded slowly.
Hai first asked the maid to help Aunt Lin, who was kowtowed and half dead, to her feet. She said politely, "Aunt Lin, I am a junior and there is something I really don't understand. I wonder if you could explain it to me?"
Aunt Lin wiped her face in a daze. Hai looked at her and said quietly, "According to what you said, if there is any injustice between the sisters, the fourth girl can beat and scold her younger sisters, hurt her younger brothers, smash things, and disobey her mother?"
When these words came out, Sheng Hong was shocked and Aunt Lin's face changed.
Hai turned to Sheng Hong and said slowly, "Father, my daughter-in-law has only one sister, but you know that when brothers and sisters get along for a long time, there will always be some who are superior to others. Not to mention the heated arguments, even verbal quarrels will make people laugh. The madam didn't ask the fourth sister to go just once, and the fourth sister insulted her siblings with foul language and even wanted to harm her. If anything happens today, the sixth sister's face will be..."
As Sheng Hong's anger subsided, his mind became clearer. He looked at Molan with disappointment. Aunt Lin, who was very alert, wanted to speak again, but Hai quickly interrupted, saying, "Besides, Aunt, be honest. Since coming to the capital, every time Madam goes out, she always takes Fourth Sister with her, while Sixth Sister rarely goes with her. Besides, when it comes to marriage, how can the woman's family go out to ask for permission? How can you expect Madam to help Fourth Sister?"
Hai's words were simple, but each one hit the nail on the head. Aunt Lin looked unwilling and said in a sad voice, "What about the fourth young lady? Is she going to watch her sisters soar to the top while she's the only one left in the mud?"
Hai burst out laughing, covering her mouth lightly and saying, "What are you talking about, Auntie? The Fourth Miss has the old lady and the master and his wife above her, and brothers and sisters-in-law below her. How could she have fallen into the mud?! Besides, marriage is determined by heaven. Others' fate is the result of their cultivation in their previous lives. Don't be jealous."
Aunt Lin's throat was choked, and her face no longer had the innocent look. A fierce light flashed in her beautiful eyes, and she said in a hoarse voice: "Madam, you are so arrogant. Even if I didn't feel any pain in my body, wouldn't you marry those poor scholars and juren?"
Hai sighed softly, "Which high-ranking official in the court isn't a scholar or juren? Who started out as a cabinet minister? Even you, the master, passed the imperial examinations, became a jinshi twice, and then worked diligently, accumulating experience, benefiting the local people, and gradually becoming a pillar of the country. Why do you look down on scholars and juren?"
Sheng Hong felt very comfortable with the flattery and couldn't help but wonder if he was just a scholar at that time, then what would Aunt Lin be like... ?
Lin Yi Niang was stopped dead in her tracks by this remark. She glared at Hai Shi fiercely. Seeing Sheng Hong's discontented expression and sharp gaze sweeping over her, she quickly changed her tone, humbled herself, and began to apologize softly: "What the eldest lady said is true. It's all my fault for not understanding the situation. I've apologized to Madam, and the Fourth Young Lady will also apologize to the Sixth Young Lady later. If Master doesn't think it's enough, he can give the Fourth Young Lady a few lashes to make her remember the pain. It's not good to confine her. She...she also needs to prepare to marry off."
His words were sincere and he looked like he was admitting his mistake.
Hai sneered inwardly, thinking, "You want to just let it go like this?" Then, she solemnly bowed to Sheng Hong and said sternly, "Father, there are things I shouldn't say to a daughter-in-law, but today's incident, though minor, will bring disaster to our family. Though the incident was minor, it will bring disaster to future generations."
Sheng Hong was quite satisfied with his daughter-in-law and said gently, "You say."
Hai stood up straight, still bowing her head, and said respectfully, "Even if it's understandable that the fourth young lady is so violent and unreasonable today, it's unforgivable. The fourth young lady is old enough and can stay at home for a few more days. If she gets married like this, it won't be good for her in her future husband's family. Third brother is even more ridiculous. The women in the inner house are arguing, and he, a man, actually interferes. Sigh... But it's understandable. After all, she was raised by Concubine Lin, so it's not right to watch her sister suffer. But this is definitely not right. Also, the maids and servants in the courtyard are the most hateful. No matter what, the mistress is the mistress of the inner house. Whether right or wrong, how can they interfere and obstruct the mistress? If he's still a little more talkative and spreads the matter outside, wouldn't it tarnish Father's reputation?"
Sheng Hong was shocked, and Hai Shi added another blow. She whispered, "Father, the Yongchang Marquis's Mansion doesn't necessarily have to marry into ours. If Fourth Sister continues to make trouble, I'm afraid Sixth Sister's marriage will be ruined too. And most importantly... you know, when a new emperor ascends the throne, the most taboo thing is to mix up the legitimate and illegitimate children!"
A few drops of sweat immediately rolled down Sheng Hong's forehead. He thought of the powerful people who had been stripped of their titles and thrones in the past few months, and the several elders and officials who had repeatedly run into obstacles. His palms became wet.
Wang finally saw what was going on. She covered her face with a handkerchief and cried softly, "Before the old lady passed away, she repeatedly asked me to take good care of the sixth girl, saying that she was honest and kind and wouldn't tell anyone if she was bullied. Now Minglan is about to leave for Youyang. If the scars on her face don't fade, the old lady will be heartbroken if she sees them."
She was not very skilled in crying, and she couldn't cry anymore after howling a few times. She sighed inwardly, it turned out that everyone has their own expertise.
Today, everyone was talking about this, and after hearing this, Sheng Hong's mind became clear. All the troubles in the family were caused by this one thing. He thought quickly, pondered for a moment, and finally pronounced the verdict: "Molan bullied her sisters, spoke ill of them, and has no virtue of being virtuous and virtuous. From today on, she is confined to the courtyard and is required to study the "Instructions for Women" carefully and cultivate her character. She is not allowed to leave."
At first, Molan thought that she was going to be beaten with a stick, so she felt relieved. However, Aunt Lin was frightened. Since she was not going to be beaten with a stick, then there must be a heavier punishment. Moreover, there was no indication of the duration of the confinement. Would that mean she would be locked up forever?
Sheng Hong turned to Wang and said, "Molan has reached the age of marriage. I have a very good impression of the scholar Wen Yanjing I mentioned last time. In a few days, you can invite Old Madam Wen to the palace to discuss the birthday taboos. If everything is good, you can get the matter done after the national mourning period."
Molan and Aunt Lin were horrified and immediately screamed and begged Sheng Hong. Sheng Hong glared at them and scolded them harshly, "I have made up my mind. No need to say anything more! If you say another word, I will no longer have you as my daughter!"
Molan lay there exhausted, Aunt Lin looked at Sheng Hong in disbelief, and Wang lowered her head in delight.
Sheng Hong swept his majestic gaze over everyone and said, "Mrs. Lin is not disciplined enough. She will be under house arrest from today until the fourth lady gets married. If you meet Miss Mo again before then, I will write a written agreement and drive you out of the house immediately! From now on, you are not allowed to meet with Brother Feng without my order! You are such an immoral person. You have corrupted good children and are dragging them down!" Sheng Hong spoke in a stern voice. Aunt Lin covered her face and cried. She wanted to pull Sheng Hong's robe, but Sheng Hong kicked her hand away in disgust and ignored her. Aunt Lin felt completely hopeless and burst into tears this time.
Sheng Hong also felt very tired. He stood up and slowly walked to Aunt Lin and her daughter. He looked at Molan and said slowly, "You have been doted on by me since you were a child. I taught you poetry and songs, but I didn't expect you to speak so much dirty words. I taught you to read and write because I wanted you to be sensible and know right from wrong, but I didn't expect you to be so rude and cruel, always complaining in your heart and bullying your younger siblings... As a father, I am very disappointed in you." Sheng Hong looked at Molan with disgust, his coldness revealing his disapproval. Molan's heart felt like it had fallen into an ice cellar and she almost fainted.
Then he whispered to Aunt Lin, "What the old lady said is true. It's all due to greed. If I hadn't doted on you too much, you and your daughter wouldn't have such delusions." After saying this, he ignored Aunt Lin's pleas and walked straight out. When he reached the door, he turned back and looked at Wang's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. He said word by word, "You should clean up the maids and servants. Sell those who should be sold, punish those who should be punished. Then there will be peace in the inner house."
Wang was truly overjoyed this time. Liu Kun's wife quickly twisted her arm again. Wang lowered her head with difficulty, trying hard to suppress her smile. Hai's expression remained unchanged, and she comforted him, "Father, don't take it to heart. I'm not bragging. There are only a few families in the entire capital as peaceful and tranquil as ours. These are just some minor flaws that will heal in a few days."
Sheng Hong felt a little relieved and turned around to leave.
…
Danju and Luzhi came back, the case was closed and there was no need to keep any evidence. Danju hurried to find some ointment for Minglan to apply, while Luzhi was very articulate and she put her hands on her hips and narrated what had just happened.
"The eldest lady is truly remarkable. She seems gentle and kind on weekdays, but who would have thought she could be so sharp when she speaks. Every word she says hits the nail on the head for Aunt Lin, and there's no way she can retaliate!" Luzhi's face was filled with idol worship. "Now we can have peace and quiet. The fourth young lady won't dare to make trouble again. The master must be disgusted with her too. I heard that Wen Juren's family is very poor."
Minglan listened quietly and shook her head. "Father is afraid that Fourth Sister will do something wrong again. This is for her own good. As long as she can get through this, and if Fourth Sister's husband is capable and has a successful career, Fourth Sister will still be able to live a good life."
Luzhi shook her head and started to complain: "There are so many candidates for the imperial examination in the world, and the examination is held every three years. How many of them can make it to the top? They may need the help of the master and the elder brother in the future." She was bought from outside. Originally in the village, she had seen scholars and candidates who were in bad shape, or those who had served as officials for several terms but were dismissed and returned to their hometowns because they did not know how to curry favor with others. The better ones could even buy some property and become gentry, but the worse ones had to find other ways to make a living.
Minglan still disagreed. Basically, Sheng Hong had good judgment. His judgment of Yuan Wenshao, the Hai family, and even the current political situation was pretty accurate. Any young man he chose couldn't be bad. It was just that… forcing Molan to live a life of second-rate poverty was like asking her to die! Well, it was a punishment.
Danju gently rubbed Minglan's bruised and sore elbow, looked up and smiled, "No matter what... Aunt Lin is in trouble. From now on, it all depends on whether the Third Young Master can achieve anything. If not, she will have no hope."
This time Minglan agreed. Thinking of Changfeng's cowardly look, she couldn't help but nodded.
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