Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 453 Countermeasures
Sheng Hong almost staggered as he stepped into Wei Rui Xuan.

Wang Ruofu was already anxiously waiting, pacing back and forth in the hall like an ant on a hot pan.

As soon as he entered, she rushed forward, disregarding all decorum and etiquette, grabbing his sleeve so tightly that her fingernails almost dug into the fabric, and asked anxiously, "Master! How is it?"

"That bitch confessed, didn't she? She really did harm Feng-ge'er?!"

Although Hua Lan's matter weighed heavily on her heart, Madam Wang knew that no matter how urgent it was, it couldn't be resolved immediately. The most important thing right now was to immediately and thoroughly convict Lin Qinshuang of being the root of all evil!

Only by removing this malignant tumor can we free up our resources to deal with the Yuan family.

Sheng Hong slumped wearily into the chair, his back hitting the back of the chair with a thud.

His face was ashen, his lips cracked, and his voice hoarse as if it had been sanded: "I confessed...it was she who orchestrated it...bribing Zhang Laosi to hire 'Over the Mountain Wind'...to harm Changquan...but in the end, Feng'er was accidentally injured..."

In just a few words, it seemed as if he had used up all the strength he had left; every word carried the weight of blood and tears.

"It really is her! That wicked woman! A jinx!"

Upon receiving confirmation, Wang Ruofu was overjoyed, almost bursting into cheers!
But she bit her tongue hard, forcibly suppressing this inappropriate joy—Sheng Changfeng was, after all, Sheng Hong's own son, and she absolutely could not show the slightest bit of schadenfreude at this moment!
However, when she thought of Sheng Changfeng's horrific amputation and the humiliation and loss of face she had suffered because of Lin Qinshuang over the years, an even stronger, vengeful rage burned within her!

She gritted her teeth, every word dripping with venom: "How could she do such a thing! Changfeng is her own flesh and blood!"

"Even tigers don't eat their cubs! She...she's worse than an animal!"

"Master! She must not be let off lightly! She must pay with her life! To console Feng-ge'er for the pain of losing his arm and to put the minds of the Sheng family at ease!"

Sheng Hong closed his eyes in pain, rubbing his throbbing temples with his fingers, his voice filled with endless exhaustion: "Grandma... does Grandma know?"

“Such a big matter, Shouan Hall must have heard the news! But…” Wang Ruofu paused, the hatred on her face instantly replaced by deeper worry and anger, and her voice became tearful, “The old lady and I just came back from the Earl Zhongqin’s mansion, and Hua’er’s situation… it’s even more awful there!”

She immediately recounted to Sheng Hong what she had witnessed at the Yuan family's residence that day, filled with grief, indignation, and heartache, and wept bitterly.

Like how Hua Lan lay emaciated on the cold sickbed, how she begged through the curtain to see her son one more time, how Madam Yuan was mean and difficult, how she forcibly seized the dowry, and most outrageously, how she took away and imprisoned Shi Ge'er, who had just turned one year old, from Hua Lan's side under the pretext of "adding blessings and longevity"!

"what?!"

Sheng Hong was already exhausted, and when he heard that his eldest daughter had suffered such inhuman torment in her husband's family, he was filled with shock and anger, like a volcanic eruption!
He slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, the force of which made the cups and saucers on the table rattle loudly!
"Outrageous! This is outrageous! Does the Yuan family...do they think our Sheng family is made of clay?!"

"And Yuan Wenshao... What exactly is Yuan Wenshao good for?! Did he waste all the Confucian classics he studied?! He can't even protect his own wife and children!"

He felt a metallic sweetness rush to his throat, his vision blurred with stars, and he felt dizzy and blacked out. A tremendous sense of powerlessness, overwhelmed by internal and external troubles and feeling utterly helpless, was like an icy tide that instantly engulfed him, making him almost unable to stand.

"Let's go! To Shou'an Hall! This matter must be decided by the old lady immediately!"

Sheng Hong struggled to support his swaying body, his voice trembling slightly.

Wang Ruofu also knew that the situation was extremely serious, so she quickly stepped forward to support him. The couple, exhausted, shocked, angry and desperate, hurriedly headed to Shou'an Hall with heavy steps.

……

Inside Shou'an Hall, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost palpable.

Old Mrs. Sheng sat upright in the main seat, her back straight, her face solemn as iron, and her eyes cold and sharp.

She had already made up her mind about what to do with Lin Qinshuang—if this villain is not eliminated, the Sheng family will never have peace! On the ground in front of her, a small piece of broken porcelain, which had not been cleaned up, gleamed coldly in the candlelight. It was a teacup that she had accidentally smashed in extreme anger when she was talking to Mama Fang about Hua Lan's tragic situation.

When Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu entered, just as they were about to bow in greeting, the old lady waved her hand wearily and heavily: "No need for formalities. I know why you've come."

Her gaze, like the still waters of a frozen pool, slowly swept over her emaciated, distraught son, then fell upon her daughter-in-law, whose face was streaked with tears and whose eyes were a mixture of hatred and sorrow. Finally, it settled on Sheng Hong's face, and her voice carried a heavy, penetrating power: "Misfortune has befallen our family, and calamity has arisen from within. The Lin family's crimes are insidious and vicious, too numerous to count! Such a source of chaos and calamity cannot be tolerated!"

"This matter concerns the Sheng family's century-old reputation and the foundation of their descendants. You handled it correctly and decisively. Very good."

Upon receiving the old lady's explicit affirmation, Sheng Hong felt a slight relaxation of the tension in his heart, but what followed was an even sharper and more agonizing pain.

"Mother... Feng'er's future is ruined..."

"Feng-ge'er suffered innocently, and the pain of losing his arm is a tragedy for the Sheng family and a disgrace to our clan!" The old lady's eyes were filled with deep pain and endless regret, but her tone was unusually firm. "However, it has come to this, and wallowing in grief will not help!"

"The most urgent task is to thoroughly cleanse the family and make an example of others! We must stabilize the household and deter others! Lin and Zhou Xueniang must be severely punished! There will be no leniency!"

"Mother, you are wise! Your daughter-in-law wishes she could tear that vile woman to pieces to vent her hatred!" Wang Ruofu immediately echoed, her eyes burning with the flames of revenge.

"Mother! And Hua'er!"

As if grasping at a straw, Sheng Hong hurriedly recounted what Wang Ruofu had seen and heard at the Yuan family. When he spoke of Hua Lan's emaciated appearance and Shi Ge'er being forcibly taken away, this usually dignified and composed head of the Sheng family couldn't help but choke up, and his eyes reddened.

"Mother! The Yuan family has treated the eldest daughter of the Sheng family so disrespectfully, as if the Sheng family were nothing! This is intolerable! Please, Mother, advise us... what should we do?"

After listening, Old Mrs. Sheng fell into a long silence.

The silence was so heavy it seemed to weigh a ton, freezing the air in the entire Shou'an Hall.

a long time.

Her thin fingers gripped the prayer beads on her wrist tightly, her knuckles turning bluish-white from the excessive force, and the sandalwood beads emitted a faint, anxious friction sound.

"Today... I also went to the Marquis of Zhongqin's residence." The old lady's voice was low and hoarse, carrying the visceral pain of someone who had experienced it firsthand. "Hua'er... she has indeed been tormented beyond recognition!"

The heartbreaking scene seemed to reappear before her eyes: Hua Lan, who had once been a radiant and beautiful peony, now lay on the cold and simple bed like a withered flower, pleading in a weak, whispered voice through the thin curtain for one last look at her own flesh and blood.

The boy, Shige'er, who should have been lively and adorable, was being held in his wet nurse's arms. His little face was listless, and his eyes were timid. He had completely lost the lively spirit he had when he was in the Sheng family.

Madam Yuan's seemingly kind and gentle face, but in reality, it was a hypocritical face that was as sharp and cold as a venomous snake's tongue, still chilling her to this day and burning her with rage!

"The Yuan family..." The old lady suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze flashing with cold light, like poisoned ice picks, "Relying on their empty airs of noble lineage, they bully my Sheng family because our foundation is still shallow and we have no one to back us up! Their actions are despicable! Their hearts are wicked!"

She abruptly changed the subject, her tone carrying a deeper, suffocating helplessness and coldness: "Indeed! Filial piety is paramount!"

"Madam Yuan holds a gold medal with the character 'filial piety' in her hand. This is what she relies on to torment Hua Lan. If Hua Lan dares to do anything disobedient, even just showing dissatisfaction, she will be doomed!"

Old Mrs. Sheng sighed: "Divorce her! Take away her child! Throw Hualan into the abyss so that she can never rise again! These... are all just a matter of Madam Yuan's whim."

"They can fabricate heinous crimes with just a few words! As for a little bit of infamy? Hmph, what does that matter to those who are inherently mean-spirited, thick-skinned, and black-hearted!"

"Could we...could we just stand by and watch Hua'er be tormented to death by that old hag?" Wang Ruofu could no longer hold back and burst into tears, looking at the old lady in despair as if grasping at the last piece of driftwood, "My Shige'er...my grandson!"