Chapter 174: The Birth of a Little Scoundrel - Part 2 (Postscript)
Chapter 174: The Birth of a Little Scoundrel - Part 2 (Postscript)
Minglan turned to face her, speaking softly, "Fourth Aunt, I suppose you're also unaware of this."
Fourth Madam Yuren nodded repeatedly, her voice filled with bitterness, "With Uncle's illness worsening, your Fourth Uncle and I only arrived from Dengzhou two months ago. How could we know?"
Minglan glanced sideways with a meaningful look, saying, "Fourth Aunt, you're a sensible person. Don't do foolish things like Auntie. Don't let yourself be used as a pawn and bring disaster upon the Yu family."
Fourth Madam Yuren followed Minglan's gaze, glanced at the Old Madam, then at her own weary and disheartened eldest sister-in-law. After pondering for a moment, her mind gradually cleared, and she began to understand the situation more clearly.
Minglan cast a sidelong glance at Madam Yu, enunciating clearly, "The matter of adoption is out of the question. If Madam Yu insists on pressing the issue, then resort to any means necessary. Given my current condition, I will personally visit the Yu residence once Lord Guo returns. I will have a good talk with Madam Yu and other members of the Yu family about the situation with Sister Yanhong, and we will come to a clear understanding!"
Madam Yu let out a groan, half-fainting in a state of uncertain authenticity.
Fourth Madam Yu took a deep breath, realizing that this situation had turned into a big joke. The sooner it ended today, the better. She helped her sister-in-law up and said, "Minglan, these past few days have been a bit too much for our family. We'll leave now. If Lord Guo is upset..." She found it difficult to continue, so she could only look deeply at Minglan. "We hope you'll remember our past relationship and treat us kindly."
Minglan sighed and replied amiably, "Fourth Aunt, don't worry. Besides the sibling-like bond between me and Yanhong, the kindness you've shown me, as well as the affection between the Old Madam and my grandmother, still remain."
Fourth Madam Yu breathed a sigh of relief, quickly calling for a servant to help support Madam Yu. Without saying much more to the Old Madam, she hurriedly bid farewell and left.
"If the Old Madam has no further instructions, then I'll take my leave to rest," Minglan said as she watched them depart, slowly rising to her feet.
"Wait."
The Old Madam witnessed the entire proceedings, inwardly sighing as she realized she had encountered a formidable opponent. Her original plan to delay matters for many days had been completely exposed, but luckily, she was prepared for this.
Minglan turned around slowly, raising an eyebrow. "Does the Old Madam have any further advice?"
The Old Madam remained silent, simply gesturing with her hand towards a maid standing nearby.
The side-folded purple bamboo door curtain was gently lifted, revealing a mother and child who bowed respectfully upon entering. The woman's clear voice resonated like a tune on a theater stage as she greeted Minglan and the Old Madam.
"Man Niang pays respects to the Old Madam and Madam."
Minglan sat down again, calmly waiting, while Danju and Lvzhi beside her were practically fuming.
The Old Madam smiled confidently, maintaining her composed tone. "Regarding the matter of adoption, since the Yu family is no longer contesting it, I won't say much more. However," she gestured towards Chang, "this child is still the Marquis's flesh and blood. It's not appropriate for him to remain outside indefinitely, so..."
"So, as the stepmother, I should be magnanimous and bring the child into the mansion, acknowledge him as part of the family, isn't that right?" Minglan interrupted impatiently, feeling a slight discomfort and a sense of heaviness in her abdomen. She cut off the Old Madam's words and continued on her behalf, "But Chang hasn't been brought into the mansion by the Marquis, right? Oh, it's because the Marquis is momentarily confused and can't swallow his pride. As the mistress of the house, I should uphold virtue and persuade the Marquis properly, isn't that right?"
Listening to Minglan's sarcastic remarks, the Old Madam's face seemed to twitch a few times. Minglan found it amusing and continued her barrage of words, "Furthermore, if Chang enters the mansion, we can't leave Man Niang behind. Separating a child from their mother goes against heaven's will and human ethics. How can we allow a mother and child who depend on each other to be separated? So, shouldn't Man Niang also enter the mansion?"
Seeing her mistress being repeatedly interrupted, Xiang Mama spoke up sternly, "Please watch your words. Where has the respect for elders gone, Madam?" Minglan smirked mischievously, "I'm just showing respect by sparing the elders from the trouble of speaking, aren't I?" Xiang Mama was exasperated, while the Old Madam kept a stern face. At her age, she couldn't engage in arguments with a young daughter-in-law; it would be undignified.
"There's just one thing I don't understand," Minglan said with a cheeky smile, "The late Marquis was adamant about not letting Man Niang enter the household. Just because he's passed away, should we disregard his words?"
The Old Madam remained expressionless, but it seemed she was becoming agitated. "The late Marquis's intention was not to let Man Niang enter the mansion before the main wife, to avoid embarrassing the in-laws. Also, Yan Hong was young and hot-tempered, unwilling to tolerate others. Otherwise, she would have been allowed in long ago."
Minglan was impressed but didn't hold back her sarcasm, saying with a smile, "Yesterday, in front of the Yues, you praised Yan Hong like a flower, but now she's suddenly 'unwilling to tolerate others'? You seem to have all the answers. I'm truly impressed."
The Old Madam was furious, ready to scold, but Minglan quickly raised her hand to stop her, still smiling playfully. "My mistake, I was wrong. I spoke without restraint. You are known for your good temper, so you wouldn't stoop to arguing with juniors like me, right?" The Old Madam's anger surged but she managed to suppress it. She suddenly realized that Minglan had stolen her lines, and she didn't know what to say next.
Seeing the change in her expression, Minglan chuckled, "Since you want to let them enter the mansion, let me ask a few questions first."
The Old Madam gritted her teeth and nodded.
Minglan glanced at Man Niang, only to find her looking back with surprise on her face, as if she had been taken aback by Minglan's performance just now. With a disdainful expression, she was probably thinking, "How did this uncultured girl manage to win over Gu Tingye?" Minglan wanted to defend herself. In fact, she was usually a gentle and modest young woman.
"Madam," Man Niang lowered her head, her voice mournful like the echo of a solitary orchid in a deep valley, resonating in the room, "Man Niang comes from humble origins and never dared to have any extravagant expectations. It's only because of my pitiful son and my lack of ability and father. Please, Madam, have mercy and give us a way out!" With that, she knelt down and repeatedly knocked her head on the ground, pulling Changge along to kneel as well.
After many years of running around, her appearance had long lost its former luster, but her melodious voice remained.
Minglan looked around and realized that there were significantly fewer spectators around. It was a pity that such a grand performance was wasted. Man Niang's display of coquetry was like performing for the blind, as Minglan felt no emotional response. Instead, she began to feel a slight, rhythmic pain in her abdomen.
"The year I saw Madam in Dengzhou, Man Niang was blind and rude, offending Madam. Please don't blame her!" She knocked her head even harder, "That day, I heard Madam speaking up for Miss Yu of the Yu family, but who knew Madam would later marry into the Gu family..." Her words implied that Minglan was reckless in her actions and inconsistent in her words.
Minglan remained unperturbed, responding calmly, "I'm not as clever as you. When it comes to marriage, I only listen to the elders. If the elders say to marry, then I marry. I didn't know about all these calculations. You overestimate me."
Man Niang paused, momentarily ceasing her pleading.
"Hearing you speak, you have a good voice," Minglan suddenly remarked, a random comment that caught Man Niang off guard. She hesitated for a moment, then quickly choked up, "I've had a hard life, scraping by since I was young."
"Your singing and performance skills are exceptional, it's just a pity that you're constrained by being a woman and can't take the stage to showcase your talents," Minglan interrupted her performance with a smile. "I've heard that your favorite song to sing is 'The Legend of the Floating Clouds'? Even after following the Marquis and living a comfortable life, you still often sing this song at home, especially the part 'The handsome young man pursues the beauty on a snowy night, and the glass woman sheds tears of blood to express her feelings.' When no one's around, you sing it word by word repeatedly."
Man Niang was completely stunned, feeling a chill in her palms. This was her deepest secret.
"As women, let's be honest with each other," Minglan continued with a familiar tone and a smile on her face. "Do you envy the Glass Lady?" Man Niang opened her mouth but couldn't find words to reply.
Minglan answered for her, turning to the Madam with a smile. "I'm just blabbering. Of course, she envies her. Otherwise, why would she continue singing this song day and night after leaving her humble origins, afraid that people wouldn't know what her previous occupation was?"
Man Niang's face turned pale, and she bit her lower lip hard.
According to the Art of War by Mao, when fighting one's own battles, one should not let the enemy dictate the terms. If the enemy wants to fight on flat ground, force them into mountain warfare; if they seek a head-on confrontation, employ guerrilla tactics to harass them. Therefore, when Man Niang wanted to discuss her pitiful background, Minglan shifted the conversation to artistic pursuits. When Man Niang tried to bring up her son, Minglan skirted around the topic.
"The Grand Academician abandoned his scholarly robes and luxurious life, forsaking the expectations of his mentors and parents, and despite facing opposition from all sides, he still married the Glass Lady, which truly makes us ordinary women envious," Minglan looked at Man Niang with amusement. "From observing your actions, you don't seem like someone who craves comfort and ease. Following the Marquis for thousands of miles with your son shows that you have great ambitions. Could it be..." she chuckled, "...that you want to emulate the Glass Lady and convince the Marquis to marry you openly despite societal expectations?"
"No!" Even though the thought had crossed her mind countless times, Man Niang instinctively denied it. She was about to say, 'As a humble woman, how could I dare entertain such thoughts,' but Minglan interrupted her, jokingly adding, "You should be careful. If you keep saying such things, the Bodhisattva might hear and take them seriously."
Man Niang bit her lip, finding herself unable to speak. The Lady beside her was wide-eyed, wanting to intervene but unsure where to begin.
"It's nothing," Minglan said, suppressing the sour pain in her abdomen, half-jokingly. "Having ambition is a good thing. You don't seek comfort in the Marquis's household, you just want the Marquis himself. It shows that you have insight into people, knowing that the Marquis is like a needle in a haystack, destined to break free one day, far surpassing those who look down on others!"
As she spoke, she deliberately glanced at the Lady, infuriating her.
Man Niang remained silent, no longer showing her pitiful appearance. Instead, she stared at Minglan with a steely gaze.
"But in the end, you still couldn't become the second Glass Lady," Minglan continued, undaunted by her glare, her anger fueling her words. "You schemed and plotted, yet you still have no status. Not only can't you enter the household, but you can't even have your son recognized and accepted!"
"You---!" Man Niang's throat emitted a sound full of anger and grievance.
"Do you know why?" Minglan interjected.
Man Niang glared at Minglan with eyes full of anger, like a crouching female beast, ready to pounce.
"Let me tell you," Minglan said, her expression serious now, no longer smiling. "Your biggest mistake is that you didn't understand that when you truly love someone, you should consider their well-being."
"The Marquis admires his father deeply in his heart. Despite his harsh words, he desires harmony between father and son. If Glass Lady were you, she would have left the Marquis long ago, not causing constant disputes between them. The Marquis wants to marry a virtuous lady from a noble family. If Glass Lady were you, she would have left him and not hindered his career prospects, unlike you, who went to Dengzhou and disrupted marriage arrangements. The Marquis wants his children to be safe and well. If Glass Lady were you, she would have raised her children well and taught them to be independent and strong adults, instead of abandoning her young daughter and dragging her three or four-year-old son across the world. Let me ask you, how many words does Chang Ge know now? How many books has he read?"
Though Minglan's tone was calm, her words were like needles piercing through.
Man Niang breathed heavily, her lifelong schemes all ending up in vain, how could she not feel resentment, yet she couldn't utter a word. Since childhood, she had admired Lady Rulan and wanted to emulate her in every way. While Minglan could be said to have been born into wealth and privilege, speaking without restraint, Lady Rulan's circumstances at the time were even more difficult than her own.
"From beginning to end, you only think of yourself. Regardless of whether Lord Hou is willing or not, regardless of how your children are, you only act according to your own desires. Do you really think you can compare yourself to Lady Rulan?!" Minglan deliberately showed disdain, "With your relentless pursuit, others would have long ago helped the elderly, the weak, and the poor, and built up their own family business!"
That was a remarkable woman, with various talents that need not be detailed here. Every time Minglan read the accounts of Lady Rulan, she felt like she was reading "One Thousand and One Nights," unable to resist serious doubts about whether this was a myth embellished by later generations. Actually, by the time Lady Rulan reached that stage, whether she was deeply loved by the High Scholar was not very important anymore. To borrow a phrase from a political class, she found her own life's value and lived it swiftly.
Man Niang's eyes were bloodshot, her fingers almost digging holes into the carpet as she glared at Minglan with bitterness.
"Of course," Minglan added finally, her tone once again gentle, even carrying a hint of pity, "The most important thing is that Lord Hou never loved you as deeply as the High Scholar loved Lady Rulan. That settles it..."
This sentence became the final straw that broke Man Niang's back; in that moment, she seemed to lose control of herself, as if she had gone mad and wanted to pounce forward, but she was firmly held down by the maids brought by Danju. The little boy beside her was already terrified, trembling in fear, while Man Niang continued to mutter curses under her breath, "You... you..."
Minglan turned to look at the Lady Dowager, her tone chilly. "Do you still want to let her in?" The Lady Dowager, who had been observing from the sidelines, was unusually shocked, her lips moving several times without speaking. Minglan turned her head again and saw that Man Niang had gradually calmed her breathing. "Let her go," Minglan said.
Man Niang raised her head indifferently, tears streaking her face. This time, Minglan believed she wasn't pretending.
Minglan looked at the frail little boy with a heavy heart and softened her voice. "If you still have a conscience, you should also think about this child. Don't let him suffer with the adults. I've heard that he's been unwell. Honestly speaking, when a man seeks a wife, it's to share the responsibilities of marriage and raise children together. If you can't even properly raise a child, which man would respect and admire you?"
Man Niang lowered her head, breathing heavily, as if a wild beast was roaring inside her.
The third wave of pain hit Minglan, and she felt that something was wrong. She struggled to stand up, her face contorted in agony. Danju panicked and kept asking what was wrong. Minglan whispered to her ear, "This pain doesn't feel right. I think I'm about to give birth."
Danju suppressed her panic and called out loudly, "Someone, bring the soft sedan chair!" The maidservants nearby immediately responded and went to fetch the sedan chair, while Danju carefully supported Minglan as they walked over. Minglan took a deep breath and said, "I'm okay, I can walk." Her physical condition was very good, and even in modern society, if she were to give birth, she would still need to be transported to the hospital first.
Seeing Minglan's condition, the Lady Dowager began to suspect. She exchanged glances with Xiangmama, unsure if this was a repeat of yesterday's false alarm or if Minglan was indeed going into labor.
Man Niang gritted her teeth and suddenly showed a fierce determination. She grabbed her son beside her and held him up, seemingly rushing towards a pillar next to Minglan as if to bash their heads together. She shouted, "If you don't let us live, then we won't live either!"
The people in the room panicked. Danju and Lvzhi both rushed to stand in front of Minglan, but it was Xiaotao who acted swiftly. With agile movements, she used all her strength to charge diagonally and slammed into Man Niang, knocking her to the ground.
"Someone! Take this scheming woman into custody!" Xiangmama exclaimed first.
Minglan glanced at her but was preoccupied with the pain in her abdomen. She didn't have time to deal with this now. However, today's victory was substantial, and she felt quite pleased. As for Man Niang and her son, their fate shouldn't be decided by her. She would leave it for Gu Tingye to handle when he returned.
...
Back in the room, Cui Mama had everything prepared, and the two midwives were anxiously waiting. However, Minglan's consciousness began to blur, feeling like she was lying on a cloud, enduring waves of contractions like tidal waves. Honestly, the sensation was strange. It didn't feel very painful, just intensely sore, making her lower back and abdomen ache so much that she almost wanted to cry. How could it be so achy? It was achy to the point of pain!
After several hours, her clothes were soaked with sweat, even her eyelashes felt damp. Outside, the sky darkened, and the voices beside her continued to cheer her on, led by Cui Mama and the other midwives, sounding like a broken record, repeating phrases like "breathe in," "bear the pain," "save your strength, don't shout," "push harder," "it will be fine," over and over again.
As the room was lit up, stars twinkled in the sky outside, complementing the golden stars in her eyes. The accumulated soreness reached a critical point, and just as Minglan felt like she was about to die, there was suddenly a frenzy of shouting outside. Huh? It didn't sound like her cheerleading squad.
Summoning her remaining strength, Minglan reluctantly opened her eyes a crack to peek outside, only to see an eerie red glow illuminating the sky.
"It's breaking! It's breaking!" The chaotic shouts echoed from outside.
Suddenly, Minglan was fully awake. After cursing every imaginable villain, she wanted to shout out loud: So, the old witch was saving this move all along! If she could anger herself to death, that would be great. If not, then may Zhurong come and vent his rage! Tingcan, Aunt Kang, the Yu family, and Man Niang, they were all just smokescreens. They had prepared a ruthless scheme all along! It's frustrating to realize she had been guarding against the wrong threats all this time.
She was just a court clerk, not an expert in palace intrigues. Despite diligently studying over the years, it seemed she still wasn't quite prepared enough. Sigh, now she could only hope that Tu Er and his guards would prove useful.
Perhaps fueled by her anger, a surge of strength emerged from within Minglan. Gritting her teeth, she held her breath and pushed with all her might. Suddenly, a rush of warmth flooded the bedding, and the intense sensation of pain seemed to find an outlet. In that moment, all the miracles in the world converged, boldly announcing the arrival of new life.
Outside, amidst the deafening drumbeats, footsteps, and clamor, the midwife's almost unrecognizable shriek could barely be heard.
"He's out! He's out! It's a boy, a big, chubby boy!"
Amidst the crimson glow of the sky, in the scene of the maliciously set fire, the little troublemaker who had tormented her for half a year had finally decided to make an appearance.
Minglan's last thought before losing consciousness was: Quickly check his hands and feet, make sure he has ten toes and ten fingers!
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About Kang Aunt, everyone has various opinions, but I have only one thing to say:
"It's unfortunate, it's pitiful, and we all sympathize, but it's not right to transfer your own misfortune onto innocent people."
As for Minglan, many readers think she's too useless.
As the story has progressed to this point, Minglan's character has been largely revealed. What do you think of her?
Yao Yiyi comes from a good family, grew up in a loving environment with caring parents, and led a life similar to that of an ordinary person, studying and working. Such a girl, who has never experienced great hardships or difficulties, remains warm and gentle at her core.
Moreover, her profession is law, so instinctively, she would stand on the side of the law rather than on the side of breaking it.
For someone like Minglan, who is gentle and has never experienced significant hardships, it's difficult for her to actively harm others for self-preservation. (To those readers who suggest that Minglan should take action against Tingcan, the Zhu family, or Xian, I believe that when it comes down to it, you wouldn't be able to do it either. We are all kind and good-hearted children, so it's true that good people often have bad luck.)
In "The Count of Monte Cristo," the protagonist only transforms into a vengeful angel after suffering immense harm. So far, Minglan hasn't faced any major crimes.
For Minglan, self-defense and proactive aggression are two different things. Without concrete evidence, even if the Old Madam has evil intentions, it only amounts to criminal speculation, not an actual crime. What can Minglan do without solid evidence? Act as a vigilante? Her skills aren't sufficient for that.
In conclusion, don't imagine Minglan to be too powerful. She's just an ordinary woman like us. In ancient times, she worked hard and studied diligently. She makes mistakes, and she has a compassionate heart. She's not a naturally skilled player in the game of palace intrigue.