Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 235 Thoughts on Visiting

Actually, although the celebration banquet that Madam Wang mentioned was somewhat related to Qi Heng and the others, it would be unfair to blame them entirely.

Originally, when Sheng Changbai passed the imperial examination, Madam Wang wanted to hold a grand banquet to invite friends from all directions to celebrate. However, she never expected that her idea would be met with unanimous opposition from Old Madam Sheng and Sheng Hong.

Sheng Hong and his group's reasoning was simple: Qi Heng failed the exam.

Because of the power of the Duke of Qi's mansion, the Sheng family couldn't do anything to embarrass them at this critical juncture.

Firstly, it was to prevent offending the Qi family and incurring their targeting. Most importantly, it was to prevent them from harboring any ill intentions towards Sheng Changbai, which would make his future path difficult.

Although the possibility was slim, for the sake of Sheng Changbai's future, Sheng Hong suppressed Wang Da Niangzi's desire to express her joy.

"Madam!"

Seeing Wang Ruofu muttering to himself, Liu's mother quickly stepped forward, supporting him and advising, "He's a guest, let's not delay any longer!"

"Otherwise, when the lord returns, he'll scold you again!"

Liu's mother said she was helping him up, but in reality, it was almost like she was dragging him by the nose.

Because Liu's mother knew her daughter extremely well and understood her personality.

To put it nicely, she was simple-minded and had a clear sense of right and wrong, but in reality, she was just guileless and straightforward. If Liu Mama hadn't given her a few pointers, she was sure that Madam Wang would have waited quite a while before leisurely going out to greet the guests.

Her reason for doing this was simply to vent her anger for her child and to disgust the other party.

However, because she was really concerned about the possibilities that Sheng Hong had mentioned, Madam Wang certainly didn't dare to go too far, only daring to be a little bit late.

In this way, even if the other party is unhappy, they won't think too much about it; at most, they'll just assume that Madam Wang was genuinely delayed by something.

However, what Madam Wang didn't know was how ridiculous her actions were in the eyes of a shrewd person like Princess Pingning!
If she really did that, then how blatant was her attempt to cover it up?

Mrs. Liu was certain that the other party would be able to tell at a glance.

Moreover, to be honest, given Wang Da Niangzi's level of understanding, she might as well have directly told Princess Pingning her opinion of her; perhaps the outcome would have been better that way.

At the very least, it lets people know her honest nature, so it doesn't make people laugh.

"Hey! Xiangmei, what are you doing?"

When Madam Wang was "helped" up by Mother Liu, she immediately became somewhat unhappy!
"I'm going to leave her out for a while, why are you in such a hurry? I don't even want to see her yet!"

Sure enough, under Liu Mama's predictable gaze, Madam Wang indeed had such an idea.

"My dear wife!"

Liu's mother tightened her grip even more: "You'd better get rid of her quickly!"

"Otherwise, keeping her in the Sheng residence would only make you angrier, wouldn't it?"

"Get rid of them as soon as possible, and it'll be over sooner!"

"Ouch! You..."

"You really..."

And so, with Liu Mama's persuasion and "helping," Madam Wang finally reluctantly came to the front hall.

However, when Madam Wang went over, she actually saw Old Madam Sheng, who hadn't received any guests for a long time.

In the room, not only were Princess Pingning and her son present, but even Old Madam Sheng, who rarely received guests and often used physical inconvenience as an excuse, was sitting at the head of the table.

"Ok?"

This scene stunned Madam Wang!
"Mother, you..."

"Oh, Madam is here?"

Old Madam Sheng slightly raised her head, timely stopping Madam Wang from voicing her doubts, and turned to Princess Pingning with a smile, saying, "Your Highness, now that Madam Wang is here, please say what you have to say to her!"

"Yes, old lady!"

Princess Pingning smiled and nodded.

Although Old Madam Sheng was of a higher generation, Princess Pingning was a princess officially appointed by the palace. Therefore, they respected each other, with one treating her as a junior and the other as a relative.

"this?"

Seeing that everyone seemed to be waiting for her, Madam Wang couldn't help but tremble inwardly.

Despite how much Madam Wang secretly dislikes and hates Princess Pingning, thinking she's difficult and not a good person, she's absolutely terrified if the two of them were face to face!

At this moment, that's it.

"W-what's wrong? What's going on?"

Seeing that Princess Pingning was looking over, Madam Wang unconsciously put on a fawning smile and stammered, "Your Highness, what is it...? If you have something to say, why don't you...why don't you just say it to my mother!"

Madam Wang's eyes darted around, and she immediately pushed out Old Madam Sheng, saying, "Major family matters have always been decided by my husband and mother!"

At this point, Madam Wang spoke the truth, clarifying her position in the Sheng family.

"hehe!"

Princess Pingning smiled "kindly," but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Madam Sheng, you flatter me. This is something I wanted to discuss with you, the head of the household. There's no need for you to trouble Lord Sheng."

"However, it would be even better if the old lady were willing to stay!"

Princess Pingning turned her head, nodded slightly to Old Madam Sheng at the head of the table, and expressed her thoughts.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Meeting the hopeful gazes of Princess Pingning and Madam Wang, Old Madam Sheng nodded and did not refuse.

"In that case, I will sit for a while longer and listen to what Your Highness has to say."

"Yep!"

"Mother, please sit for a while longer!"

Before Princess Pingning could speak, Madam Wang hastily finalized the matter.

"Ah~"

Seeing Wang Da Niangzi's timid appearance, Liu Mama couldn't bear to look at her!

After all, Madam Wang's attitude at this moment was completely different from her previous attitude in secret!

"That would be perfect!"

Princess Pingning first smiled at Old Madam Sheng, and then turned to Madam Wang and said, "Actually, the purpose of my visit this time is for this wretched child of my family!"

As she spoke, Princess Pingning pointed at Qi Heng, a helpless expression on her face.

Princess Pingning didn't wait for anyone to argue for Qi Heng, and continued, "Heng'er, this child, tells me every day at home how good the Sheng family is, how lively the Sheng family is, and that the Sheng family not only has many brothers and sisters, but also that they all have very good relationships with each other!"

"Respect and love each other, be friendly and harmonious!"

Hearing what Princess Pingning said, Madam Wang couldn't help but blush.

"Harmonious and friendly? Without those people from Linxi Pavilion, the Sheng family can be considered harmonious and friendly!" Madam Wang thought to herself, but on the surface, she still had a smiling face, showing her magnanimous side.

At this moment, Princess Pingning still said with a smile, "The more people, the more lively it is!"

"Unlike our family, there are only three people coming and going!"

"So, I came here this time to see the Sheng family's children and see what they look like that made Heng'er say such things!"

"By the way, I can also ask Madam Sheng for advice and see how she raises her child, who is so well-behaved!"

"Mother!"

Seemingly embarrassed by Princess Pingning's words, Qi Heng quickly added, "The Sheng family's virtuous brothers are not only exceptionally talented, but their sisters are also truly wonderful!"

"It's truly an honor to have met them!"

"hehe!"

"Young Master has gone too far!"

Grandma Sheng shook her head slightly, said modestly, and then looked at Madam Wang, signaling her to speak.

With the old lady in charge, Madam Wang naturally felt more at ease, and at least she wasn't as fearful as before.

"Your Highness, you and the young master are too kind!"

"Our children are nowhere near as good as Your Highness and the young master describe!"

"It's just a matter of casually disciplining someone according to the rules of the manor; it's not worth mentioning at all!"

Madam Wang was overjoyed, and her face couldn't help but show her happiness. She smiled and said in a compliment, "In my opinion, the young master is truly the number one young talent in the world!"

"The young master is not only handsome, but his family background and character are also outstanding!"

"Who in the entire city of Bianjing doesn't know him?"

"If you ask me, even the princes and grandsons of the emperor in the palace are probably not as outstanding as the young master!"

"Cough cough!"

Seeing that Madam Wang's words were becoming increasingly outrageous, Old Madam Sheng coughed.

"Uh……"

Madam Wang realized she had spoken out of turn and immediately blushed.

"Madam Sheng, you're being modest!"

Princess Pingning lowered her head, pretending not to notice anything unusual about the other party. After all, she felt that what Madam Wang said made sense, and her Heng'er was indeed so outstanding.

"My Heng'er told me that Brother Bai has already passed the imperial examination this time!"

"And today, he went to the palace examination. Judging from Bai Ge'er's abilities, becoming a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) is practically a certainty!"

"Such great talent, how can he be not worth mentioning?"

Princess Pingning smiled and praised Wang Ruofu, but in her heart, her anger towards Qi Heng had quietly risen another level.

Who told Qi Heng to not only fail the imperial examination, but also to be so determined to marry a woman whose parents objected to his marriage?
When Princess Pingning saw the proud and self-satisfied expression on Madam Wang's face as Sheng Changbai's mother, she couldn't help but feel a surge of anger!
After all, Princess Pingning has always been strong-willed, so how could she not be angry in this situation?
"Your Highness, you've gone too far!"

"Too much!"

Madam Wang waved her hand, smiling broadly: "Although Bai'er is the most outstanding among these children, the other children are all excellent as well!"

"Especially Minglan, she is a wonderful child who was raised under the old lady's care!"

"Not only is she outstanding in appearance, but her temperament is also first-rate!"

As Madam Wang spoke, she turned her head and pretended to glance at Old Madam Sheng above. When she saw Old Madam Sheng nod slightly, Madam Wang couldn't help but nod inwardly.

"Sure enough, as long as I say these things to Princess Pingning, the old lady will be happy!"

Madam Wang was pleased with herself, and her sweet words became even more fluent.

"Minglan's needlework skills are especially remarkable. Her embroidery is top-notch, and people often come to her house to ask for her advice!"

"Oh?"

Upon hearing Madam Wang mention Minglan, Princess Pingning and her son Qi Heng's eyes lit up immediately!
"Madam Sheng, I've heard Heng'er mention your three daughters before. Why don't you bring a few of them over today so I can take a look?"

Princess Pingning glanced at the excited Qi Heng beside her and said with a smile, "I just happened to have acquired a few pearl hairpins from the South China Sea. I'll take this opportunity to give these things to the children!"

"It'll be good for them to wear it out and show off their youthful charm!"

"And by the way, it also saves Heng'er from complaining in my ear every day that I didn't give him a little sister!"

At this moment, Qi Heng, who was listening from the side, was greatly invigorated!
The reason for this was not only because he would be able to see Minglan, but more importantly because he thought that Princess Pingning would get down to business and propose marriage to the Sheng family after meeting Minglan.

However, Qi Heng was unaware of Princess Pingning's thoughts, and he didn't even notice that there was no matchmaker among Princess Pingning's group of people.

At this time, the matchmaker was a crucial part of the marriage ceremony. Without a matchmaker, it was almost equivalent to an unconventional marriage, which was generally looked down upon by the world.

Because of his own experiences, Qi Heng was unaware of the reasons behind this and excitedly thought that he was about to get what he wanted!
However, Princess Pingning's last sentence suddenly caught the attention of Old Madam Sheng!

"younger sister?"

Old Mrs. Sheng's expression turned serious, as she sensed that something was amiss!
Old Madam Sheng was a wise and experienced woman. When she was talking with Princess Pingning earlier, she noticed something strange and felt that there seemed to be something wrong with the other party's attitude.

That's why she sat down after Princess Pingning said just two sentences. The old lady's purpose was simply to find out what the other party was really thinking.

At this moment, upon hearing Princess Pingning's last sentence, coupled with her request to see Minglan and the others, the old lady finally understood a bit more.

Old Mrs. Sheng's heart sank, but she remained outwardly calm.

"It seems that the Duke of Qi really doesn't think much of my Ming'er!"

Grandma Sheng thought with some anger, then turned to look at Qi Heng across from her, who was still overjoyed and unaware of what was happening. She shook her head slightly in her heart.

"It seems that Qi Heng, that silly boy, is still unaware of his mother's plans!"

Originally, Old Madam Sheng couldn't bring herself to say anything to blame Qi Heng!

"Fine, let's make that silly girl Ming'er give up completely!"

After glancing at Madam Wang, who was still unaware of Princess Pingning's thoughts, Old Madam Sheng slowly closed her eyes.

"quick!"

Madam Wang, unaware of the true situation, assumed that Princess Pingning genuinely wanted to see the Sheng family's daughters. Therefore, she instructed her servants, "Quickly, bring all the girls out so that Her Highness can have a good look at them!"

Madam Wang winked at Liu Mama beside her, signaling, "Just say that the Princess has something to bestow upon them!"

"They need to dress up nicely before coming out!"

Madam Wang seemed to be referring to something specific.

All the stories can only be written when the main characters are older; in fact, what we're doing now is just the beginning...

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(End of this chapter)