Chapter 196: The Ways of the World - To the Left, To the Right
After getting dressed and ready, Minglan didn't go directly to see the Wang family. Instead, she took a slight detour and intercepted Sheng Hong, who had slept alone last night, on the path leading to the study. She ignored the dark, pot-bottom-like expression on her father's face and cheerfully chatted as they walked.
"Father, isn't it strange? Aunt Kang didn't come back all night, yet the Kang family isn't anxious, while the Wang family is in a rush?"
Sheng Hong kept his head down and refused to respond. Ever since their argument that day, the corners of his mouth and eyes had remained turned down in a thirty-degree angle.
"In my view, this is because the old lady was poisoned," Minglan continued without waiting for her father to reply. "But since Father understands the situation clearly, I'm sure you already know the reasons behind it."
Sheng Hong grunted. His youngest daughter was all smiles, and he didn't want to scold her in front of others. He felt stifled inside, secretly thinking that the day she learned about the old lady's poisoning, she almost wanted to eat Wang Shi alive, yet today she acted as if nothing had happened—this ability to change faces so quickly was quite a talent for someone in officialdom.
Minglan said slowly, "In my humble opinion, there are only two reasons why Uncle Kang hasn't come this time."
Sheng Hong suppressed his urge to ask and remained silent.
"Either Uncle Kang knows about this matter but is indifferent and unwilling to stand up for Aunt, or he doesn't know at all, and the Wang family doesn't want him to find out." Since the relationship between the couple was already so poor, it would be better not to give the Kang family more reasons to dislike Wang Shi.
"When we meet the Wang family, Father, could you ask why Uncle Kang isn't here? But I guess Cousin Jin will only say two things..." Minglan smiled cunningly. "Either Uncle is unwell and can't come, or the Kang family has something going on, and Uncle is tied up."
Sheng Hong wanted to smile but quickly straightened his mouth and maintained a serious expression—what could a brother-in-law, who had been idle for many years, possibly be busy with? Unless he had taken in a couple of beautiful maids and exhausted himself, that might make sense.
Minglan smiled again, "However, the Wang family's visit today probably falls into three categories..." Sheng Hong unconsciously slowed his pace.
"First, the Wang family is unaware of Aunt Kang's misdeeds, and this visit is merely to inquire about the old lady's health; second, the Wang family knows the truth and has come today to plead with Father on how to let Aunt go..."
Sheng Hong stroked his short beard, secretly nodding in agreement, thinking that his youngest daughter was quite perceptive.
"And the third possibility is that someone has ill intentions and wants to shift the blame entirely onto the lady of the house, pushing it onto the Sheng family."
Sheng Hong suddenly stopped in his tracks, staring intently at his daughter with a serious expression.
Minglan spoke lightly, "You'll understand this matter in a moment, Father."
The father and daughter didn't linger any longer and quickly walked towards the main courtyard. As soon as they stepped into the hall, they saw Wang Shi leaning over the knees of Old Madam Wang, crying bitterly. Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang were nearby, offering comfort and sighing, while Kang Jin stood behind Old Madam Wang with a worried expression. Beside him stood an elderly woman dressed as a servant, who appeared quite shrewd and capable. Aside from Liu Kun's wife, who stood in the corner of the room, all the other maids and servants had been sent out. No one was allowed to peek through the doors and windows within five meters, and guards were stationed at the entrance of the courtyard.
Upon seeing Sheng Hong, Old Madam Wang smiled with relief, "Son-in-law, you've finally arrived."
The father and daughter both bowed to pay their respects to the elder before rising. Sheng Hong noticed Kang Jin and couldn't help but ask, "Where is your father?"
Kang Jin's expression stiffened, and he stammered, "My father… he… he hasn't been feeling well lately."
Sheng Hong refrained from looking at his daughter's expression and turned back to Old Madam Wang to offer his greetings, saying, "It's not right for the younger generation to let you, at such an old age, be burdened and wearied."
Old Madam Wang lamented, "With such an unfilial daughter from the Wang family, how can I face you!" After saying this, she glared hatefully at Wang Shi, who immediately knelt down and cried, "Mother, I know I was wrong!"
Old Madam Wang pointed at her daughter and scolded, "How did I teach you before you married? Filial piety is the foundation of life! As a child and daughter-in-law, managing the household or supporting your husband and educating your children should all take a back seat to filial piety. And look at you! You've committed an act worse than a beast, bringing shame upon the Wang family!"
Wang Shi wept bitterly, "Mother, I was truly in the wrong! I've embarrassed my parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law. Please, Mother, you can hit or scold me, just plead for my forgiveness!"
Old Madam Wang felt an intense heartache as she embraced her daughter and cried, "My child, how could you be so foolish! It's easy for me to forgive you, but what will your in-laws say?" She then turned to Sheng Hong and said, "Good son-in-law, she has harmed the family matriarch, which is a serious offense. How do you plan to handle this matter?"
Due to his daughter's reminder, Sheng Hong was now more cautious and grew increasingly perplexed as he listened: "Mother-in-law… are you implying that it's all because of Baige's (Changbai)mother…" He hesitated, turning to look at Minglan.
Minglan was inwardly cursing her useless father for being overly cautious, so she decided to speak plainly, "Old Madam, you see, the other day our matriarch was perfectly fine and suddenly fell ill without waking up. We initially thought it was just a sudden illness due to the heat, but who would've known that after a thorough diagnosis by the imperial physician, it turned out to be poisoning."
She and the Wang family were originally not involved with each other, but since entering the house, Old Madam Wang had only been talking about how her daughter was doing, without a single word about the grandmother's safety. This showed the true purpose of her visit, so Minglan decided it was better to speak plainly.
Old Madam Wang's face was filled with shame. "I already know, the Wang family truly has no face to meet the in-laws." As she said this, she heavily struck Wang Shi's back a few times and scolded, "It's all your fault for being so foolish! How could you be so ignorant!"
This time, even Wang Shi sensed something was wrong and, with tears in her eyes, asked in confusion, "Mother… you…?" The mother and daughter had been so emotional since they met, one scolding while the other cried, and neither had clarified the situation.
Minglan smiled slightly, "It seems Old Madam believes that my grandmother's situation was entirely caused by the Madam?"
Old Madam Wang detected something strange in these words and, seeing her daughter and son-in-law's expressions of shock and anger, felt confused. She turned to look at the old woman beside Kang Jin—wasn't it said that Wang Shi harbored resentment against her mother-in-law and had therefore used something harmful to make her sick?
Seeing this situation, Sheng Hong and Minglan had already confirmed their suspicions, and the father and daughter quickly exchanged glances.
The old woman showed no signs of panic. She gently nudged Kang Jin, who had been standing dazedly as if suddenly awakened. He quickly cupped his hands toward Sheng Hong and said, "Uncle, allow me to report that my mother has been missing for a day and a night. Our home is in urgent need of her. May I ask if we could see her first?"
Sheng Hong felt anger bubbling inside him and said in a deep voice, "Minglan, bring her out first!"
Minglan walked to the door and saw Lvzhi waiting at the entrance, waving from a distance before returning to the house.
Behind Lvzhi were two old women, swiftly escorting Aunt Kang, who was squeezed between them. Upon entering the room, everyone could see that Aunt Kang was dressed in a light yellow silk summer outfit, which looked fine overall, except for her flushed cheeks. Minglan knew this was due to the cloth that had just been removed from her mouth.
Wang Shi silently stared at her sister, who was wearing her clothes. She recalled that Liu Kun's wife had reported how Aunt Kang had been bound and forced to sit for a day and a night, wallowing in her own filth, which was truly humiliating and painful. This made Wang Shi feel even more fearful of Minglan.
Having suffered so much, Aunt Kang initially looked dispirited, but upon seeing her mother, brother, and son, she immediately perked up. Struggling free from the two old women, she stumbled and collapsed in front of Old Madam Wang, crying out loudly, "Mother! You finally came! I've been tortured so much! The Sheng family… sob… they're too much! I really wish I could just die!"
Kang Jin also knelt beside his mother, and the two of them cried together. Minglan tugged at the corners of her mouth and waved her hand for the two old women to step aside.
Sheng Hong felt angry upon seeing her. Originally, everything had been fine; the family was thriving together on the prosperous path of the Sheng family. But today, things had escalated to this point all because of this venomous woman. Now she still had the nerve to cry with her mother and son. He sneered coldly, "My mother is still struggling on her sickbed, and Aunt Kang should take good care of herself!"
Old Madam Wang slowly wiped her tears. Her son-in-law had always been humble and filial, so she sensed there might be more to the situation. Just as she was hesitating, the old woman beside Kang Jin cried out, "My poor girl! She has never been treated this way from childhood to now!"
This reminder made Old Madam Wang's expression darken. "I don't know what's wrong with my daughter, but as the eldest aunt, how could she be unjustly detained in her younger sister's in-laws' house? This is truly unprecedented!"
Sheng Hong was about to argue back after being scolded, but Minglan quickly stepped in. Looking at the old woman, she smiled and said, "This must be Mama Qi. She is indeed Aunt Kang's most capable assistant. Not only is Mama Qi efficient, but her two sons are also highly valued by Aunt Kang."
Old Madam Wang's face turned displeased, and Aunt Kang, filled with hatred, quickly shouted, "Elders are speaking; what's it to you?! To speak so freely, you must be a woman raised without manners!"
When Sheng Hong heard the words "raised without manners," he was infuriated and coldly replied, "Even a servant from the maternal family can speak up, but my daughter can't say anything in her own house? Who knows where this rule comes from?!"
Old Madam Wang felt the weight of the words directed at her, forcing herself to endure it while trying to stop her eldest daughter from speaking further.
Mama Qi's heart sank; she realized that her son had indeed been taken by the Sheng family, and the situation was getting worse.
She looked up at Minglan and said, "It seems those two useless sons of that old woman are also in the hands of the maternal grandmother. I really don't understand why a family can't discuss matters properly. Why does the maternal grandmother have to resort to such despicable methods, snatching people off the street and imprisoning her own sister-in-law? If this gets out, I can't believe it would be said that this is how the scholarly Sheng family behaves."
What a sharp tongue! In just a few sentences, she deftly shifted the focus to the issue of methods, avoiding the root cause of the incident.
Minglan didn't mind at all and smiled, "This kind of trickery is nothing compared to the person who poisoned. Moreover, using extraordinary means is also for the sake of our families' faces. If, as Mama Qi said, we laid everything bare and discussed it openly, I'm afraid that the Wang, Kang, and Sheng families would never be able to show their faces in public again… especially the Wang family."
Uncle Wang furrowed his brows and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Minglan let out a cold laugh, took out a thick stack of papers from her sleeve, and handed the first two sheets to Old Madam Wang. She then explained, "About two months ago, the second manager Qi from the Kang family, led by the broker You Da, got to know an old Taoist priest at a remote temple in the western part of the city. This old priest specializes in concocting various vile pills and potions, usually supplying them to brothels."
These included spring medicines, hallucinogens, contraceptives, abortion pills, and even fake hymen restoration pills—all kinds were available, and the service was attentive, with high-quality products that were quite popular in the market.
Minglan pointed to the paper in Old Madam Wang's hand and said, "This is the confession signed by the broker You Da and Manager Qi."
Though Old Madam Wang was old, her eyes and ears were still sharp. The confession was written clearly, and Uncle Wang and his wife leaned in to take a look. Aunt Wang glanced at Mama Qi with a look of disdain that she couldn't hide.
Mama Qi's face turned ashen, and she forcefully retorted, "This ungrateful thing…"
Wang Shi shouted angrily, "You shut your mouth! How can a servant talk back? Let the master finish speaking!" Even she, who was usually confused, understood the situation now. She hoped Minglan would push harder to pin the blame on Aunt Kang, otherwise, she would have to take the fall herself!
While scolding, she glared at her sister, but Aunt Kang turned her face away, refusing to look at her.
Minglan continued, "For the next half a month, Manager Qi often drank and built rapport with that old Taoist. Eventually, one day, Manager Qi personally took action and asked the old Taoist to concoct a kind of poison that couldn't be detected by silver needles and acted quickly. At first, the old Taoist was unwilling, but after some persuasion over a few days, he finally agreed and offered a crude recipe, using over a hundred pounds of sprouting ginkgo to extract a very concentrated sap. Just a small amount would be fatal within moments."
She took the top two or three sheets of paper from her hand and handed them to Liu Kun's family. "This is the confession signed by the old Taoist."
Old Madam Wang looked at the confession, her fingers beginning to tremble slightly. Uncle Wang glanced at it a few times, shaking his head repeatedly with reluctance, while Kang Jin stared at his mother in disbelief.
"Manager Qi paid a deposit of two hundred taels, and the old Taoist immediately got to work. Since he needed to purchase a large quantity of sprouting ginkgo, which could not be supplied by scattered farmers, the old Taoist sought out four remote small herbal shops and bought up all their old stock."
Minglan took a few more colorful sheets of paper and said, "These are the shipping orders copied from those four shops, along with the testimony of the shopkeepers who handled the transactions. In just seven or eight days, the old Taoist purchased a total of one hundred and twelve pounds of sprouting ginkgo."
"The old Taoist worked day and night and eventually refined three bottles of poison. Manager Qi then paid eight hundred taels of silver, and the old Taoist delivered two bottles while secretly keeping one for himself." Minglan gestured to Lvzhi, who carefully took out a small white porcelain bottle and handed it to Sheng Hong. "I have already asked the imperial physician to examine it. The poison in this bottle is the same as that in the snacks for the old lady."
Sheng Hong looked at the small bottle, his face turning ashen.
"Aunt Kang received these two bottles of poison, and after some time, on the morning of the day before yesterday, Madam didn't send anyone as usual to buy the old lady's favorite snacks. Instead, a young servant named Jin Liu from the Kang residence went to Jufangzhai to buy the first batch of lotus seed pastries. About an hour and a half later, Manager Qi personally escorted the pastries from the Shan family to the Sheng residence and handed them to Madam."
Minglan handed over the last few sheets of paper in her hand, saying, "These are the confessions signed by Manager Qi and that young woman." As she watched Old Madam Wang and the others read the confession, she added, "The person from the Shan family was actually Aunt Kang's personal maid."
With this statement, everything became very clear.
Aunt Kang's face turned pale and ashen. She dared not look at her mother, brother, or sister-in-law's expressions, and could only half-bury herself in her sleeves, softly sobbing. Sheng Hong angrily glared at his wife, while Wang Shi lowered her head in shame, crying, and kept mumbling, "I really didn't know that was poison…"
Minglan instructed Lvzhi a few words, and Lvzhi hurried out. After a moment, two guards escorted in a person covered in injuries. Upon seeing this person, Aunt Kang nearly fainted.
The person knelt on the ground, crying out loudly, "Mother, mother, please save me! We can't go on like this! I don't know if my elder brother is alive or dead, please save my life!"
Looking at her son with a broken mouth and blood-stained half of his clothing, Mama Qi felt a pain in her heart but gritted her teeth and turned her face away.
The two guards dragged Manager Qi outside. Minglan smiled at Mama Qi, saying, "Don't worry, Manager Qi is fine; it's just some flesh wounds. He'll recover in half a month." In fact, she meant to indicate that he hadn't even had the chance to show his strength; everyone had already confessed. Manager Qi's personality was the type that would suffer in silence and beg for mercy, and his screams didn't have the same impact as Manager Qi Er's.
She then said to Old Madam Wang, "If you still have doubts, you can ask these people yourself. That old Daoist has also been detained."
The Daoist, who was fond of making medicines, had been diligently cultivating at the temple when a group of masked men descended upon him in the middle of the night. They threw a sack over his head, frightening him out of his wits. Before he could even feel any blows, he cooperated fully and spoke up. He even volunteered witnesses who could attest to seeing him drinking and having fun with Manager Qi and Manager Qi Er, along with several banknotes.
The room fell silent once again. The Wang family exchanged glances, unsure of what to do, while Aunt Kang became flustered, glancing back and forth between her mother and brother in desperation.
Sheng Hong's anger gradually rose, and he coldly asked, "May I ask my mother-in-law and elder brother how this matter should be resolved?"
He first considered how to keep the situation under wraps for his own children. However, once the matter reached the in-laws, he had to put on the appearance of an angry and filial son. If it were outsiders, he would need to act even more enraged and sorrowful, pounding his chest and wailing.
Aunt Wang suddenly spoke up, smiling amicably, "The main parties involved in this matter are indeed the Kang family and the Sheng family. My mother is quite old; how can she withstand this? Brother-in-law, please don't take it out on us."
Sheng Hong recalled the various forms of assistance that Old Madam Wang and his elder brother had provided him over the years, causing his heart to soften.
Minglan listened and chuckled lightly, "Auntie Wang is right, but unfortunately… from the very beginning, Aunt Kang had decided to drag the Wang family into this."
Uncle Wang frowned and asked, "What do you mean by that, niece?"
Minglan glanced at Aunt Kang, who was huddled in the corner pretending to be dead. "Manager Qi Er has been making connections with people who can concoct poison just as the Wang family was sending word that they planned to move back to the capital. When Manager Qi made the deposit to that old Daoist, it coincided with the time that Old Madam Wang and Aunt were returning to the capital. The day Aunt Kang decided to poison someone was precisely when Uncle Wang returned to the capital and the master at Jufangzhai was preparing to make his first batch again."
As for when Aunt Kang first came up with the idea, it likely started when the Kang family's illegitimate daughter became the favored concubine of the old prince.
Old Madam Wang clutched her chest, looking despondently at her eldest daughter, filled with sorrow.
"Alright!" Sheng Hong thought for a moment and quickly understood the implications of Aunt Kang choosing the date for the attack. He slammed his palm heavily on the table, sneering coldly, "The Wang family is a noble family, while our Sheng family is a nameless poor household. Even if my mother has been secretly plotted against, I still have to be wary of the Wang family and dare not pursue the matter openly?!"
Uncle Wang hurriedly said, "Brother-in-law, please don't say that. We are family; we should look out for each other's reputations and avoid hurting our harmony. There's no need for such 'wariness'! This…" He waved his hands repeatedly. "The old lady is gravely ill in bed right now, and I'm very worried. My mother specifically brought over a hundred-year-old ginseng today, hoping that the old lady can turn her crisis into safety and recover. Otherwise, the Wang family…" He even spoke with a choked voice, "The crime would indeed be great!" As he spoke, his face turned red with shame, and his tone was sincere, without a single word of defense for his sister. Minglan secretly thought that he still had some conscience left.
Seeing that the situation was not favorable, Mama Qi hurried forward to support Aunt Kang and argued, "These testimonies may not be reliable. Under severe torture, it's possible to force confessions."
Aunt Kang was reminded and her spirit jolted. She stood up and loudly declared, "That's right, brother! The Sheng family wants to clear themselves by slandering me! They've captured my associates and tortured them. How can such testimonies be trusted?" She turned around and once again fell at her mother's legs, pleading desperately, "Mother, you must stand up for me!"
Wang Shi jumped up in anger, pushing her sister, "What do you mean? What do you mean by wanting to clear yourself! Are you trying to pin everything on me?!"
Old Madam Wang showed a look of difficulty.
Minglan was waiting for this moment. She clapped her hands and smiled, "I knew Auntie would say that. However, it is true that one can't be certain whether those small-time criminals would falsely accuse Auntie to escape their punishment."
Her words caused surprise throughout the room. From the beginning to the end, Minglan had been pressing Aunt Kang and Aunt Wang relentlessly, hammering down the charges against her, yet now she had changed her tune.
"But…" Minglan's expression turned serious, and she said solemnly, "It is true that my grandmother was poisoned, it is true that the pastries were poisoned, and it is also true that the pastries were given to my grandmother by the Madam of the house. The poison brewed by that old Daoist was the same kind. In the end, it comes down to whether it was the Madam of the house who harmed my grandmother or Auntie who harmed her." With each word she spoke, the faces of the Wang family and the Kang family grew increasingly grim.
"They are all from the Wang family. A mother knows her daughter best. The testimonies are placed on this table, and the criminals are being held in the backyard." Minglan slowly glanced over the faces in the room and lightly tossed out a remark, "My grandmother's fate remains unknown. There needs to be an explanation. I ask the old lady to make a decision. Father, what do you say?"
Sheng Hong said solemnly, "To conspire against one's own elder is against the natural order! In my Sheng family, anyone who dares to lay a poisonous hand on my mother is truly outrageous! This must be clarified!" He wanted to quickly conclude this matter, keeping the family disgrace contained within the Sheng and Wang families, which wouldn't be too bad, and he could also push off responsibility. He clasped his hands in front of Old Madam Wang and said, "Then I ask my mother-in-law to decide."
Old Madam Wang suddenly became the key figure. Both Aunt Kang and Wang Shi clutched their mother's arms simultaneously—
"Mother! You must save me! You know best how much suffering I've endured over the years. Who can understand the pain in my heart? You must save me!"
"It was my sister who said it was just a medicine that could make people sick; how could I have known it was poison... Mother, I wouldn't have the courage to even think of such a harmful method!"
Old Madam Wang found it difficult to make a decision, her heart torn in two. She looked pleadingly at Sheng Hong, but he turned away. She thought about such a grave crime as patricide; how could a son-in-law let this go? Unable to contain her emotions, she began to weep bitterly.
Uncle Wang was also extremely distressed, yet powerless to alleviate the situation. He could only kneel at his mother's feet, shedding tears.
Aunt Wang took a few steps back, glancing at Minglan without showing any signs of emotion, thinking to herself that this little girl had quite a cunning mind.
Although she hated Kang and also despised the Sheng family, she also bore resentment toward the Wang family. Yet, she was methodically using slow, calculated tactics to achieve her ends. In the end, no matter who bore the blame, the choice made by Old Madam Wang would break her heart and cause her lifelong suffering. Her brother would also be deeply hurt. As for the two sisters, the one who bore the blame would harbor deep resentment toward her maternal family, while the one who escaped responsibility would find it hard to maintain the same bond with her mother going forward.
It was a case of killing three birds with one stone; she not only wanted to punish the wrongdoers but also to torment her maternal family that had indulged them.
Aunt Kang's face flushed with anger, and she suddenly grabbed Old Madam Wang, her eyes wide and breathing heavily, saying, "Mother! The Sheng family won't make things difficult for my sister. My sister's son is accomplished, and her daughter has married into a prestigious family. She might face some hardships, but nothing major will happen! But I... that ungrateful man has long since abandoned me, and the house is full of vixens who would be glad to see me dead! If I'm divorced, what will happen to my children? This was the engagement my father arranged for me! Mother, you can't abandon me! You can't let them dispose of me!"
Kang Jin fell to the ground by his mother's skirt, crying in agony.
Wang Shi was furious, her eyes reddening as she pointed at her: "You—!"
Seeing her children turning against each other, Old Madam Wang felt like her heart was being ripped apart. Everything around her blurred, and a burning pain filled her chest. Her eldest daughter was still shaking her, repeatedly crying out for help.
Gradually, she focused her vision, seeing her eldest daughter's face, which resembled her own, then looking at her younger daughter, who was anxious and angry. Finally, she made up her mind, raised her arm, and struck down with all her strength.