Chapter 193: The Ways of the World - Demons and Monsters (Part 1)
That night, Minglan stayed by the sickbed, helping with cleaning, inducing vomiting, and even tending to bodily waste, without any hesitation. Mama Fang stood by with tears in her eyes, and even Dr. Lin was moved by the sight—such a high-ranking noblewoman was truly rare. Her actions calmed his anxious heart a bit.
Last night, after Dr. Lin finished checking the kitchen, he was shocked to find two fierce-looking, burly men standing at the entrance of Shou'an Hall, which startled his heart into a rapid race. In their line of work, especially at the level of the Imperial Medical Bureau, they often encountered the dark secrets of powerful families; thus, whenever they prayed to the Medicine Buddha, aside from wishing for improved medical skills and effective remedies, they also had to self-reflect on the need to avoid speaking too much or asking too many questions, keeping their mouths shut and being cautious in their actions—to avoid suffering from the calamities of being collateral damage.
After changing into clean clothes brought by the attendant, Room Mama politely invited Dr. Lin to rest in the side room, while Minglan took a short nap on the lounge chair in the old lady's room. As the hour of midnight approached, the sky was still dark when Minglan slowly woke up, hearing a commotion outside the room.
"...What does the sixth lady mean by this? Not allowing anyone in or out, and even hitting people... The master needs to go to court..."
Minglan smiled slightly, got up, and had Luzhi help her change into a new outfit and quickly style her hair before calmly walking outside. The one arguing with Mama Fang was Mama Qian, who was close to Madam Wang. Upon seeing Minglan, she immediately exclaimed, "...Oh, sixth lady, many frightening ruffians came in the night..."
Minglan waved her hand, signaling her to speak quietly, and then said, "No need to say much, I will go with you to see the madam and the master now." With that, she strode forward, and Luzhi followed closely with a small bundle. Mama Qian was taken aback for a moment before hurriedly catching up.
On the way, Mama Qian kept chattering, "...The madam is quite angry; she originally wanted to come and question the young lady herself, but I managed to persuade her not to. The master asked me to bring you, saying it would avoid disturbing the old lady…" Minglan remained silent, walking straight ahead. Seeing the slight frostiness on her face, Mama Qian awkwardly stopped talking.
When they arrived at the main courtyard where Madam Wang stayed, Minglan instructed Mama Qian to wait outside and walked in alone. Upon seeing her, Madam Wang impatiently scolded, "You little wretch! What kind of madness is this, surrounding the house and not allowing anyone in or out! Anyone who resists is being hit…"
Sheng Hong, dressed in official robes, paced restlessly around the room, saying, "What on earth are you thinking? If this gets out, how will our family stand in the future…" It was indeed a bizarre incident for his own daughter to surround the estate.
Minglan found it somewhat amusing. No matter when, her father's biggest worry was always this. She smiled and said, "Father, don't worry. I had the guards block the doors from inside, and with the main gate closed, how would anyone outside know what's going on inside?"
Sheng Hong was momentarily dazed by her words, his thoughts muddled.
Minglan continued, "Besides, didn't you say yesterday that taking a day off wouldn't be a problem?"
Sheng Hong was stumped by his own words, completely forgetting to ask anything else.
Wang Shi stood up angrily and said, "The master still has to go to court!"
Ming Lan took a few steps forward and replied, "Father doesn't need to worry. I've already sent someone to ask for leave on your behalf. I told them that an elder in the family is seriously ill, and that Father is deeply concerned and staying at home to care for Grandmother. Father has always been diligent and has never taken a day off; if this gets out, people will only say that Father is exceptionally filial, pure, and kind, which will greatly benefit your reputation."
Sheng Hong wiped the cold sweat that had just appeared on his forehead and found that his daughter's words were quite reasonable. It was true that Grandmother was ill, and there hadn't been any urgent matters recently, so why not take a day off and genuinely fulfill the role of a filial son?
Seeing that Ming Lan had not paid any attention to her, Wang Shi became even angrier, "You locked up our whole family! What on earth do you want to do?" Sheng Hong slowly took off his official hat and placed it neatly on the table, saying, "What do you have to say?"
"It's nothing much, just preventing someone from leaking information," Ming Lan replied, still smiling elegantly.
Sheng Hong frowned, "What do you mean by leaking information?"
"Poisoning," Ming Lan said, her smile fading as she looked directly at Wang Shi.
Wang Shi's heart sank, and she slowly sat down, holding onto the edge of the table.
Sheng Hong was confused and whispered, "What are you talking about?" Just as he said that, he suddenly realized and was greatly alarmed. "Are you referring to Grandmother...?" Ming Lan nodded. Sheng Hong was shaken to his core, stumbled back, steadied himself, and shouted, "Don't speak nonsense! Everyone in this household is family; how could…"
Ming Lan pointed to the long table at the front, and Lu Zhi immediately placed a small bundle on it, carefully unwrapping it to reveal a blue-and-white porcelain lotus plate holding several pieces of golden, fragrant pastries.
Upon seeing this, Wang Shi's face turned ashen, and Sheng Hong trembled as he pointed at the plate. "These are Grandmother's... Could it be... arsenic?" This was the most commonly circulated poison on the market today.
"It's not arsenic," Ming Lan replied.
Wang Shi pressed her hand to her chest, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, and relaxed her shoulders as she casually remarked, "I knew it was just..." She suddenly realized something and quickly stopped speaking.
Ming Lan coldly asked, "Just what? Does the Madam know the truth?"
Sheng Hong stared at his wife in shock, and Wang Shi stammered, "It's just... just an illness."
Ming Lan laughed coldly. "The contents of these pastries, though not arsenic, can still be fatal." She turned to Sheng Hong and said, "Father, do you know that when ginkgo nuts sprout, they become toxic?"
Sheng Hong nodded. "Of course. Who doesn't know that? It's only ignorant children who are greedy for food that easily get poisoned."
Ming Lan said, "Someone concentrated the sap from the ginkgo sprouts and injected it into the filling of these pastries. I asked Mama Fang about Grandmother's habits; she usually eats a couple of pastries while they're still warm. Dr. Lin said that if she had truly eaten two pieces, Grandmother would have been in the underworld by now. Thankfully, the weather has been hot lately, and Grandmother doesn't tolerate sweet foods well, so she only ate one piece, which is why she's still alive."
Sheng Hong felt cold sweat soaking through his shirt, and his collar was already damp.
"The most interesting part is that yesterday at noon, someone by the Madam's side went to Shou An Tang to ask for the leftover pastries, saying my niece was clamoring to eat some. Fortunately, Mama Fang saw that Grandmother hadn't eaten much, and thinking she might want more later, she saved some. Otherwise, it would have been seamless," Ming Lan said, staring intently at Wang Shi to scrutinize her changing expressions. "The person who poisoned her was indeed very meticulous."
Wang Shi felt flustered under the gaze of the father and daughter. She shouted, "What are you staring at me for?!"
Ming Lan replied, "Aren't these pastries from the Madam? The filial daughter-in-law buys pastries for her mother-in-law. Many people praised the Madam for this in the past."
Sheng Hong's anger flared, and regardless of his daughter's presence, he shouted, "Speak quickly! What exactly did you do?"
Wang Shi gritted her teeth, deciding to be defiant. "You think you can convict me based on just a few pastries? It's not that easy. How do you know that it wasn't one of the servants by Grandmother's side who had malicious intent and plotted against her?"
Sheng Hong cursed angrily, "Fool! Fool! The people at Shou An Tang have been with Grandmother for decades. Why would they poison her?"
Wang Shi raised her chin defiantly and retorted, "Who knows if Grandmother treats her servants harshly behind closed doors, while pretending to be sweet and kind? Or perhaps that Dr. Lin is just making wild diagnoses because he can't figure out her illness and is randomly speculating!"
Sheng Hong was so furious at her nonsensical excuses that he couldn't speak. Ming Lan remained unbothered, smiling as she said, "That's not a problem. We can call a few more doctors to see if Grandmother is really poisoned or just sick."
"That won't do!" Sheng Xiong said anxiously. "This is a family disgrace. You questioned Dr. Lin last night, which was already too reckless. If word gets out, how will our family have any face left? We cannot let anyone else know about this!"
Ming Lan wasn't surprised by her father's reaction. "Father, there's no need to worry. Dr. Lin is someone the Marquis trusts greatly. He knows a lot, and he keeps his mouth shut. As for calling other doctors… wouldn't that imply that the Madam doesn't trust Dr. Lin?"
After saying this, she shrugged her shoulders.
Sheng Hong was so enraged that he nearly collapsed. He pointed at Wang Shi, stamping his foot repeatedly. "You… you still won't admit your mistake?!"
Wang Shi felt a surge of anger and stubbornly insisted, "Grandmother is getting old and increasingly gluttonous. She ate raw ginkgo sprouts, which made her unwell, and now you're blaming me with these cakes! I'll tell you, unless I die, I won't admit to anything!" After a moment's thought, she added proudly, "Do you think my family is powerless?"
Sheng Hong remembered that the Wang family was nearby, and he was momentarily speechless.
Ming Lan covered her mouth with her sleeve, laughing until tears filled her eyes. "Madam, you might not know, but if only a small amount of ginkgo sprout juice is ingested, it's not a big deal. To eat enough raw ginkgo sprouts to cause someone to lose consciousness would take at least a couple of sacks! But…"
She suppressed her tears, "There's no need for Madam to seek death. If you feel that Father and I are being unfair, why not take this to court and have the magistrate investigate it?"
Upon hearing this, both Sheng Xiong and Wang Shi were taken aback. Wang Shi yelled, "You ungrateful girl! You're shameless; the Sheng family still has to maintain its reputation!" Sheng Hong shouted angrily, "How dare you!"
Ming Lan stood calmly in the middle, indifferent as she said, "If Father doesn't want this to escalate, please persuade Madam to behave; otherwise, I will submit a formal complaint to the authorities. Or, Father could simply gather all the household servants and have my guards beat them, hiding the evidence and Grandmother, so that I have nothing to accuse anyone of."
Sheng Hong was so anxious that he began to stomp his feet; if a fight really broke out in his home and the neighbors found out, he wouldn't be able to show his face again.
"Good child. I understand your intention to seek justice for Grandmother," he could only persuade gently. "But we are all family, so why escalate things? Let's just close the doors and investigate slowly."
"Family?" Ming Lan blinked. "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. Everyone in this household is related; we are all blood relatives." A single tear, unnoticed, fell onto her sleeve. "I am blood-related to you, Father, and to my siblings. Madam and my sisters-in-law gave birth to Sheng family's bloodline; we are all family—except for Grandmother."
Unknowingly, hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she repeated, "Except for Grandmother. She has no blood relatives. Father, Big Brother, Big Sister, and us—all of us are her family, but she has left no trace of her bloodline. The poisoner surely anticipated this. Madam has her family backing her, but Grandmother has long severed ties with hers! Yes, our family is on a good path now; why should we turn everything upside down for such a trivial matter?!"
Sheng Xiong noticed the clear mockery in his daughter's expression, and his temples throbbed. In a fit of anger, he slapped her across the face. Ming Lan took the blow, feeling the sting on her cheek, gasping in pain, yet she remained unyielding. She touched her face and coldly laughed, "Father, do you think I blocked the entire house last night just for fun?!"
Sheng Xiong retracted his hand and said ominously, "You must think carefully about the consequences of your actions!"
"I have long thought this through," Ming Lan replied, filled with indignation. "Given your usual tendency to avoid conflict, this matter will undoubtedly be downplayed for the sake of appearances. I can agree to many things for your sake, but this matter is absolutely non-negotiable!"
Sheng Hong sneered repeatedly, "I didn't realize I had such a capable daughter who defies her own father. I would rather not have a daughter like you!"
Ming Lan couldn't hold back her tears any longer, "I know. After this, you might not want to recognize me anymore, Big Brother will harbor resentment against me, Big Sister will ignore me, not to mention Sister-in-law and Fifth Sister. Even the marquis might blame me for being inconsiderate. I've managed to offend everyone completely. In the future, I will have no family to rely on, so let me say this clearly—"
She steeled her heart and shouted, "For the sake of seeking justice for Grandmother, I am willing to give up my father, brothers, sisters, and even the comfortable and wealthy life we have now!"
Once she said that, she felt liberated, standing tall as she declared, "There are only two options. Either Madam reveals everything, or I will go to the governor's office and appeal for justice! You can decide how to proceed!"
Sheng Hong trembled with rage, his hands and feet cold, glaring at his daughter in fury. But given the situation, he could only retreat to a compromise. He turned to glare at Wang Shi, saying, "At this point, I can no longer care about appearances. If you continue to be stubborn, I will have no choice but to write a divorce letter. It would mean offending the Wang family, but we can simply stop interacting from now on." If this matter could be buried, it would be fine, but if it escalated, it would become a major issue; at worst, he could face demotion, losing his position, or even end up in court.
Wang Shi was also frightened by this.
In the past decade or so, Ming Lan had always been clever, obedient, and perceptive, knowing how to be agreeable and never making things difficult for others. But today, she seemed like a madwoman, adamant and unwilling to let go, even daring to oppose her own father and say such rebellious words. She trembled, pointing her finger and declaring, "How dare you… dare to defy your elders…"
"Once this matter is resolved, feel free to accuse me of being disrespectful," Ming Lan replied calmly, "assuming you're still in good health by then."
Wang Shi choked, turning to look at Sheng Xiong with pleading eyes, "My lord…"
Sheng Hong ignored her and pointed at Lu Zhi behind Ming Lan, saying, "Go fetch some ink and paper. I will write a divorce letter immediately."
Wang Shi was stunned, covering her face and crying, "Why is my life so miserable, having endured so much in the Sheng family…"
Sheng Hong turned to her with a cold smile, "You foolish woman! Can't you see the current situation? There's a physician's diagnosis for Grandmother, the poisoned pastries, and those pastries were bought by you. With these three pieces of evidence, this girl already holds your life in her hands."
With both eyewitnesses and physical evidence, along with the fact that their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship was known to many outsiders, it constituted a complete chain of evidence. If this truly went to court, Wang Shi would be in an inescapable dead end. It was only reasonable for him to sever ties with her quickly.
He added, "If you harm your mother-in-law's life, it would make no difference if the sky fell. I can still divorce you!"
Wang Shi was stunned, momentarily pausing her tears. At that moment, a soft voice called out, "Madam!"
Everyone turned to see Liu Kun's wife lifting the bamboo curtain of the side room and entering, gently kneeling in front of Wang Shi. "Madam, now that things have come to this, please don't be stubborn. If you don't tell the truth, Bǎi gē er (Changbai) and your two daughters will also be implicated!"
She raised her head, staring at Wang Shi. "If something happens to you, how will your two daughters stand in their husbands' families? And your eldest son—he's on a good career path right now!"
Wang Shi shivered at the thought. If she were divorced, how would her two daughters manage? And what about her son...
Ming Lan looked at Liu Kun's wife and smiled coldly, "I almost forgot about you, Liu Mama. How could such an important matter not involve you?"
Madam Liu knelt and turned towards Minglan, saying, "Back then, the Old Madam instructed that Aunt Kang was no longer allowed to visit. As a servant, I dared not speak out, but I thought it was absolutely right. I originally came from the Wang family, but today I must say this—Aunt Kang has become more and more out of line. Yet our lady has a soft heart, easily influenced, and prone to making mistakes. I often advised her not to associate with Aunt Kang anymore, but she always clung to the bond of sisterhood and refused to listen. Every time they talked, she would send me out of the room."
"So, are you saying that Liu Mama is completely unaware of the situation?" Ming Lan felt her legs grow weak and slowly walked to a chair to sit down.
Madam Liu said, "Though I don't know the full story, after listening to the young lady's words, I can guess about seventy to eighty percent of it." She looked up at Minglan and continued, "Isn't the young lady also suspicious, which is why you kept pushing the madam to tell the truth? Otherwise, based on the doctor's diagnosis and that plate of pastries, you would have acted last night, and by now, you and the master would have already decided how to punish the madam."
Minglan felt a bit of admiration, "The old lady of the Wang family truly had good intentions sending you over."
Madam Liu kowtowed again, respectfully saying, "As for what the young lady said earlier about the ginkgo sprout juice and how it was concentrated, I know nothing about that. I've served the madam since I was young, and I know her temperament well. Though she can be a bit impatient, she is an honest person. She wouldn't come up with such a sinister, calculating method."
Sheng Hong, seeing his daughter's softened attitude, no longer rushed to write the divorce letter and sat down angrily. Hearing this, he nodded in agreement. His wife couldn't even read, so how could she possibly know about ginkgo sprout poison, let alone that its juice could be refined? This required someone literate and knowledgeable. A thought struck him, and, connecting Madam Liu's words, he had already figured out who might be behind it.
Madam Liu turned back to Wang Shi, holding her hand and gently comforting her, "Madam, please just say it. If not for yourself, then for the sake of your sons and daughters."
Wang Shi finally broke down and cried, "It was... it was my sister... She, she said that the old madam controls me so strictly, scolding and punishing me at every turn, and now even my daughters-in-law can step all over me. I'm living such a humiliating life. And yet... and yet the old madam is still in good health. I didn't know how much longer I'd have to endure, so... so..."
"So you and your sister conspired to poison the old lady?!" Sheng Hong was furious.
"No, no!" Madam Wang quickly waved her hands, crying even harder. "...She said that as long as the old lady became weak, bedridden from time to time, without the strength to manage everything, then wouldn't I be the one in charge of the household?"
"Foolish, foolish!" Sheng Hong scolded in frustration. Earlier, he had been too consumed with anger during the argument with his daughter to think it all through. He had suspected something more was going on, but never thought it was Madam Wang harboring such ill intentions.
Madam Wang cried even more hysterically, "My sister said the pastries wouldn't cause any serious harm. Didn't the doctor last night say the old lady's condition had stabilized? How was I to know..."
Madam Liu, who served under Madam Wang, spoke up, "Madam, how could you be so foolish! Did you ever stop to think? What if the old lady, in a moment of affection, broke off a piece of that pastry and gave it to Young Master Quan to try? Wouldn't that be a disaster?!"
Madam Wang was suddenly struck with realization, her face covered in tears and snot. "Oh heavens... how could she dare?"
"That child is your grandson, not your sister's. Why would she care? Even if something happened to Young Master Quan, could you confront her about it? No, she would just use it as leverage to control you." Madam Liu shook her head repeatedly.
Sheng Hong thought even deeper—once the old lady passed away, Madam Wang would fully take control of the Sheng household, while Madam Kang would have this leverage over her. She could blackmail her whenever she wanted, whether it was for people or money, and Madam Wang would have no choice but to comply.
Grinding his teeth in anger, Sheng Hong spat out, "That vile woman! I've treated the Kang family well, and yet she dares to scheme against my family like this!"
Madam Wang clung to Madam Liu's arm, sobbing uncontrollably. Sheng Hong, furious, slapped his thigh, while Lvzhi had already brought over ink, brushes, and another pot of fresh tea. Minglan stood up and slowly paced around the room, deep in thought: The concubine born from the Kang family had entered the Wang household, and the Wang family had returned. The upright and strong eldest grandson Changbai hadn't returned yet, and she herself had fallen out with Gu Tingye (or so Madam Kang believed)—could there be a better time than this?
Ginkgo sprout juice wasn't like arsenic; it couldn't be detected with a silver needle. As long as the old lady passed away, and her body stiffened without symptoms like convulsions, diarrhea, or vomiting, there would be no trace of foul play. At that point, Madam Wang and Madam Kang could take control of everything, clean up the evidence, and destroy it. Even if Minglan were to suspect something, there would be no proof left. And even if something went wrong, all the suspicion would fall on Madam Wang. Madam Kang, if she insisted it wasn't her, could easily get away with it. Minglan coldly smiled to herself: What a cruel and heartless woman!
After a while, the sound of commotion came from outside. Everyone turned to look and saw a ferocious-looking man roughly pushing in an old woman with disheveled hair. He stood in the doorway, followed by Xiaotao, who called out as soon as she entered, "Madam, just now, Qian Mama was secretly giving money to a servant, telling him to crawl through the dog hole and sneak out!"
Minglan slightly nodded to the fierce man. "Master Tu, thank you for your hard work."
Madam Wang, upon seeing Tu Hu's terrifying appearance, was already trembling violently. Sheng Hong, on the other hand, remained composed, knowing that his son-in-law had a number of men from the martial world who helped guard the family estate. The Tu brothers were among the leaders of that group.
Sheng Hong turned to Qian Mama, who was kneeling on the ground, and asked, "Why were you trying to leave?"
With a face smeared with dirt, Qian Mama wailed, "Master, I am innocent! I have urgent matters at home, so I asked someone to go back for me!"
Sheng Hong asked, "What urgent matters do you have at home?"
"... My eighty-year-old mother is sick..." Qian Mama wailed loudly.
Xiaotao immediately pointed out the inconsistency, "Didn't your mother pass away years ago? I even gave money for the funeral at that time."
"It... it's my godmother, she's unwell..." Qian Mama continued to make excuses.
Luzhi quickly added, "Just now, when I went to get the pen and ink, I saw her peeking inside and eavesdropping." In fact, all the maids and servants in Wang's room had this habit, but she hadn't paid attention since the others hadn't tried to leave and report.
Sheng Hong was furious, "You wretched servant! Speak the truth!"
Qian Mama lay on the ground, crying and wailing, continuing to claim her innocence.
Sheng Hong, unable to get anything out of her and worried about the matter leaking, didn't dare call for the family staff to give her a beating.
Minglan frowned. "I don't have time for this." She nodded slightly toward the door. "Master Tu, please take care of it."
Tu Hu laughed boldly, "This is no trouble at all."
He strode into the room, pulled a sweatcloth from his waist, grabbed Qian Mama's jaw, and stuffed the cloth into her mouth. Then, he pressed his left knee against her back, locked her shoulder with his left hand, and with his right hand applied pressure to her palm. No one could see exactly how he used his strength, but suddenly there was a deep, bone-cracking sound. Qian Mama let out a scream like a slaughtered pig, but with her mouth gagged, it came out as a muffled cry.