Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 464 Arrangement
The old woman's voice was devoid of any warmth, only icy coldness.

Mo Lan remained silent for a moment, then finally raised her head, her face showing the calm of someone who had given up all hope: "Yes. He loosened my belt and touched my body. If Father hadn't arrived 'in time'..."

She even tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing a smile that was more like a grimace.

"Is that so?" Old Mrs. Sheng closed her eyes, her mind racing.

a long time.

"Shh!"

When the old woman opened her eyes again, only a resolute, cold light remained in them, without the slightest hesitation.

She looked at Sheng Hong, her words quick and clear, logical and decisive, as if issuing an order on the battlefield: "Hong'er, things have come to this, what's done is done! There's no way to cover it up! The only way out is marriage!"

"We must arrange a marriage! And it must be quick!"

"We must seize the opportunity before the slightest leak of information, before the Liang family reacts and tries to deny it, to completely seduce the truth and turn this scandal into a beautiful story of 'mutual affection' and 'pre-arranged marriage'!"

"Mother!" Sheng Hong growled in anguish, his voice filled with humiliation and resentment, "That Liang Han... he... he's so despicable! Utterly irresponsible..."

"What do you mean, 'him'!" Old Madam Sheng interrupted sharply, her voice firm and resolute. "He touched the Sheng family's daughter and ruined her chastity; he has to take responsibility!"

"Who cares if he's a dragon or a worm! The Liang family is in the wrong! It's Liang Han who has behaved improperly and lacked morality!"

"Reason is on our side!"

"Hong'er, listen to me!" The old lady's eyes flashed with the ruthless decisiveness and worldly wisdom of a seasoned noblewoman. "You... no, you must hold on to this moment! Go to the Yongchang Earl's Mansion immediately!"

"Remember, don't beg them!"

"We're going to demand justice! We're going to seek an explanation! We're going to confront them and hold them accountable!"

She stared intently at Sheng Hong and instructed him, word by word: "Take the jade pendant that scoundrel dropped! Tell him that Liang Han, in his drunken stupor, forcibly abducted and defiled your innocent daughter who was confined to the mansion and suffering!"

At this point, Old Madam Sheng couldn't help but glance at Mo Lan kneeling on the ground, her lips twitching slightly, and continued, "We must be firm! We must be indignant! We must let them know that although the Sheng family is not as prestigious as the Earl's Mansion, we are by no means a pushover to be bullied and swallow our anger! It was Liang Han who ruined the reputation of my Sheng family's daughter, and it is the Liang family that owes our Sheng family an explanation!"

"They are the ones who should give the Sheng family an explanation and justice!"

Speaking of this jade pendant, one has to admire Mo Lan.

This jade pendant was a "token of love" that Mo Lan specially obtained when she was making love with Liang Han. Although Liang Gongzi saw it as the crystallization of his love, Mo Lan saw it as her pass to enter the Earl's mansion.

Mo Lan knew from the beginning that her family would stand up for her after she did this, so in order to be absolutely sure, she handed the jade pendant over to Sheng Hong early on, making it public knowledge.

Sure enough, the jade pendant really came in handy!

Old Madam Sheng took a breath, suppressing her surging anger, and continued her deployment with terrifying clarity: "Mama Fang!" she called out, raising her voice to ensure that those outside the door could hear: "Immediately send someone with my calling card, prepare the carriages and horses, and have them ready at any time! Once the master brings back news from the Liang family, no matter what the outcome, immediately go and invite the best official matchmaker in Bianjing! Be quick! Be steady!"

She turned back to Sheng Hong and Madam Wang and said, "To the outside world, keep the same story! Just say that the two families have long intended to arrange a marriage, but haven't announced it yet because the children are still young!"

"Now that fate has brought us together, and it seems like a match made in heaven, let's move the wedding forward! Go through the six rites of marriage as quickly as possible! Skip the betrothal and name-asking ceremonies if you can, but the betrothal gifts and wedding date setting must be done in the shortest time possible, with great fanfare and as much fanfare as possible! Make it as loud as it can be!"

"It would be best if everyone in Bianjing knew that the fourth daughter of the Sheng family married into the Yongchang Earl's mansion in a grand and legitimate manner, carried by eight sedan chairs! It's a joyous occasion, not a scandal!"

“But… Mother, at this time…” Madam Wang finally found a chance to interject, sweating profusely and like an ant on a hot pan, “The imperial examination is just around the corner! Chang… Changquan and the others are still studying hard in their studies, and the whole mansion is in chaos…”

"I know!" Old Madam Sheng's gaze swept sharply over Madam Wang, carrying an undeniable air of authority. "That's why we need to be even faster! We need to cut the Gordian knot!"

"This scourge must be dealt with before the spring examinations begin! This matter must be completely resolved! The dust must be settled! This sordid affair must not be allowed to affect the authority of the examiners!"

She pronounced the words "Changquan" clearly, her gaze sweeping meaningfully over Molan, who was still kneeling.

"Changquan is studying in his study, closed to all visitors. Not a moment's peace is to be disturbed! All servants in the manor who know the truth, including that greedy old woman Qian, the audacious Yunzai, Luzhong... and everyone in Linxi Pavilion who might know the inside story, are to be kept under strict guard! Lock them in the woodshed and gag them! Assign the most reliable people to watch over them! Anyone who dares to divulge even a single word, no matter who they are, will be beaten to death and thrown into a well! No mercy!"

Her voice was cold and ruthless, carrying a chilling murderous intent that echoed in the gloomy ancestral hall, making even Madam Wang shiver.

"As for you!"

Grandma Sheng's gaze finally fell on Mo Lan like a cold blade. There was no trace of kinship in her eyes, only endless disgust and a cold judgment: "From this moment until you get into the bridal sedan chair, you will kneel in this ancestral hall and repent for your sins in front of the ancestral tablets!"

"You shall not be allowed to eat or drink. If you dare to cause any further trouble, I will personally end your life without your father even lifting a finger!"

"The Sheng family... a century of good reputation cannot tolerate a shameless wretch like you who has brought disaster to the entire family!"

Every word spoken by Old Madam Sheng was like an irresistible decree, striking the cold floor of the ancestral hall and also striking the hearts of Sheng Hong and Madam Wang.

Mo Lan's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and a trace of fear finally flashed across her numb face, but it was quickly covered by a twisted sense of pleasure that "the goal has been achieved." She lowered her head deeply and did not dare to utter another sound.

In any case, she won her gamble; she's about to become the young mistress of the Earl's mansion!
Old Madam Sheng's gaze swept over Sheng Hong, who was barely holding on, and the distraught Madam Wang, like a searchlight: "Did you all understand? Hong'er, in your current state... can you still hold on? If you really can't..." A resolute glint flashed in the old lady's eyes, "I'll risk my reputation and go to the Liang family myself!"

Looking into his mother's resolute and determined eyes, which seemed capable of bearing the weight of the entire family and suppressing the raging storm, Sheng Hong felt a faint glimmer of support instill in the despair that was on the verge of collapse in his heart.

He took a deep breath, the air thick with the smell of blood, and forced down the metallic taste in his throat and the excruciating pain throughout his body. Struggling, he used all his strength to stand up from the official's hat chair, a symbol of his official authority that now felt like a cold instrument of torture.

Despite his swaying and dizziness, a glimmer of the patriarch's light finally rekindled in his eyes, though that light was filled with humiliation, bloodshot eyes, and the weight of a desperate battle.

"Son...I understand!" His voice was hoarse, yet carried a heavy weight of having faced death to save him. "Son...I'll go now!"

Sheng Hong straightened his spine, which had long been burdened by heavy responsibilities, like a warrior about to go to the execution ground, and straightened his blood-stained clothes, which symbolized his official status.

For the sake of the Sheng family, for Changquan who is still studying hard and has a bright future, for the crumbling century-old family name, and for all the innocent children who may be implicated, he must play this extremely humiliating role well and go to the Liang family... to seek "justice"!
The countdown to the imperial examination was like a guillotine hanging overhead, forcing the Sheng family, a chariot on the verge of collapse, to rush toward that predetermined, ironic end at top speed and with the utmost dignity.