Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 478 "Showdown"

With the departure of the He family, Shou'an Hall fell into complete silence. The "popularity" and "respectability" that had been deliberately maintained vanished in an instant, leaving only the lingering fragrance of sandalwood incense and a desolate silence that left one feeling empty.

Because her half-sister Mo Lan was getting married, Hua Lan informed the Zhongqin Earl's Mansion that she would stay at the Sheng family for a few days until Mo Lan returned to her parents' home.

At this moment, she and Rulan had already returned to Weirui Pavilion with Madam Wang, and the mother and her children went to have a private chat behind closed doors.

In Shou'an Hall, only Minglan remained standing beside Old Madam Sheng.

However, Minglan was somewhat absent-minded at the moment. Although her gaze was on the smooth, mirror-like floor tiles in front of the hall, her thoughts had already wandered far away.

Qi Heng's greetings were like a tiny thorn; though harmless, they always caused a dull ache in her heart. He Hongwen's complex gaze as he left—a mixture of entanglement, concern, and a hint of helpless panic—raised an indescribable unease in her heart.

Her eyes were so heavy, filled with so many unspoken words, just like her mother's eyes on her deathbed, it was no ordinary look.

Moreover, she vaguely understood Old Madam Sheng's intentions. After all, she always talked to her about the He family. However, He Hongwen's strange expression today was like a dark cloud, quietly shrouding her heart and casting ripples of varying depths. It stirred up inexplicable waves and a sense of foreboding in her originally calm heart.

Grandma Sheng leaned deeply into the pillow, closed her eyes, and held the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand for a long time. A deep weariness, like an invisible lead weight, pressed heavily on her shoulders and heart.

a long time.

Grandma Sheng slowly raised her eyelids and looked at Minglan beside her. She keenly noticed the faint daze and melancholy in her granddaughter's eyes.

"Ming girl," Old Madam Sheng's voice was tinged with weariness, yet still clear, "you must be tired today, go back to your room and rest."

"You don't need to stay here and watch over me anymore."

Upon hearing this, Minglan seemed to be startled from her reverie, and quickly curtsied, saying, "Grandmother, I am not tired. You..."

“Go ahead.” Old Mrs. Sheng waved her hand, her tone gentle but firm. “Go back to your room and calm down. Some things, if kept in your heart for too long, will only become a burden.”

"Think it through, then do what needs to be done, just... don't lose your sense of proportion."

These words have a double meaning; they seem to be spoken to Minglan, but also to herself.

Minglan's heart skipped a beat, and she looked up at her grandmother.

Those eyes, which had seen the vicissitudes of life, were calm and still, yet seemed to penetrate the heart.

She dared not delve into the deeper meaning of her grandmother's words, only feeling a chill creep up her spine. She forced herself to remain calm, bowed her head, and replied, "Yes, Grandmother. Granddaughter... takes her leave."

After saying this, he bowed again, then turned around and left Shou'an Hall with slightly hurried steps.

Minglan did not return directly to Mucangzhai, but instead turned and headed straight for the secluded courtyard in the northwest corner of the mansion, which was now heavily guarded.

That's right, that's the "forbidden place" where Lin Qinshuang is imprisoned—the woodshed!
The old woman guarding the gate saw that it was the sixth young lady, the older sister of the scholarly Sheng Changquan, and that she had influence with the old lady, so she dared not stop her, but she also dared not let her pass. She just looked at her hesitantly.

Seeing this, Minglan gave Xiaotao a wink, and Xiaotao immediately understood. She smiled and said, "Mama Wang, my young lady has something she wants to say to the person inside. Don't worry, she can just talk. We won't let her out. We'll wait outside the door."

As he spoke, he took out a few silver coins from his pocket and quietly slipped them into Wang Mama's arms.

"Oh? Not at all, I trust Sixth Miss!"

Upon seeing the silver, Wang Mama beamed with joy and immediately unlocked the door for Minglan.

……

The woodshed was dimly lit and filled with a damp, stuffy smell from a lack of ventilation.

Lin Qinshuang lay emaciated on the woodpile by the window, her clothes tattered, covered only by a thin quilt to avoid freezing to death. Her former charming and graceful appearance had long been replaced by resentment and despair.

Mo Lan got married, but her birth mother was locked in the house and couldn't even see her daughter one last time. This was worse than death for her. At this moment, she heard footsteps and suddenly raised her head. Her cloudy eyes shot out a deep hatred. When she saw that it was Ming Lan, she immediately got up. The hatred in her eyes was like a poisoned needle!

"It's you?! What are you doing here? Are you here to laugh at me? Get out!"

Minglan stood a few steps away from her, her posture upright, her face expressionless, but her eyes as cold as ice. She ignored Lin Qinshuang's harsh words, and instead spoke slowly in a calm, almost cold tone, her voice exceptionally clear in the silent room. "Mistress Lin, you probably don't know what kind of person Liang Han, the sixth young master of the Yongchang Earl's Mansion, whom Fourth Sister is marrying today, is, do you?"

Lin Qinshuang was taken aback, and then a bad feeling crept into her heart.

"What nonsense are you talking about! The Liang family is an earl's mansion! Han-ge'er is the eldest son! Mo'er will be blessed to marry into that family!"

She spoke toughly, but a hint of barely perceptible panic flashed in her eyes.

"Enjoying a life of luxury?" Minglan's lips curled into a faint, sarcastic smile. "Liang Han is a notorious playboy in Bianjing. Although he doesn't frequent brothels, he's still quite the womanizer, and he has many concubines in his household. Do you think he's a decent man?"

"So what...so what?" Lin Qinshuang's eyes were a little red as she shrieked, "Which capable gentleman doesn't have a few concubines? This...this is nothing!!"

"is it?"

Minglan smiled, but there was no smile in her eyes: "There is something you may not know. Before Fourth Sister married into the family, that Young Master Liang already had a concubine who was pregnant in his courtyard. The reason why Lady Yongchang agreed to this marriage was probably because she wanted to keep this illegitimate son and, incidentally, find someone to keep an eye on him and ultimately cover up the family's reputation for her son."

"Do you think this is a pit of fire that your daughter has climbed up to?"

Lin Qinshuang's face instantly turned deathly pale, her lips trembling as she stammered, "You...you're talking nonsense! You're jealous of Mo'er! You..."

“I’m jealous of her?” Minglan interrupted her, her voice suddenly rising, filled with years of suppressed grief and indignation. “Why would I be jealous of someone who is facing a desperate situation?”

"Lin Qinshuang, you schemed and plotted, going to great lengths to force Mo Lan into the Liang family, resorting to such despicable means. Did you think you were securing a future for her? You were pushing her into hell with your own hands! You ruined her life!"

"Shut up!" Lin Qinshuang sat up abruptly like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her eyes bloodshot. "I'm doing this for her own good! For her sake..."

"For her own good?" Minglan took a step closer, her gaze sharp as a knife, piercing Lin Qinshuang's deepest fears and secrets. "Then, who were you doing this for back then? For yourself!"

Minglan's voice suddenly turned icy cold, each word striking Lin Qinshuang's heart clearly: "Back then, my mother, Wei, was ten months pregnant and about to give birth."

"It was you, Lin Qinshuang! Not only did you secretly poison her, but you also bribed the midwife to deliberately delay the process, and instructed the servants to withhold charcoal, leaving my mother to freeze in the dead of winter! In the end... she died in childbirth!"

"Tell me, what is the reason for all this?!"

The long-buried, bloody truth was suddenly revealed, like a thunderclap exploding over Lin Qinshuang's head!
She trembled violently, as if all her bones had been removed, and collapsed to the ground, her eyes wide open, filled with unbelievable terror and shock!

She thought that what happened back then was done perfectly and had long been buried by time. Even if there was still some evidence, it wouldn't count. Minglan and her brother were just children, so how could they know about the past?
She opened her mouth, making strange "hoarse" sounds in her throat, but couldn't utter a single word, only heavy breathing.

The immense fear and the shock of the truth almost suffocated her.

Minglan looked at her distraught and on the verge of collapse, her eyes filled with no pity, only icy hatred and the pleasure of revenge: "You think you've won?"

"You think you can rest easy after killing my mother? Look at your fate now! Look at Mo Lan's fate! This is your retribution! You killed my mother, so I'll make you watch with your own eyes how the 'good marriage' you painstakingly planned will drag your daughter into an abyss of no return!"

"Seeing your son, whom you were so proud of, with his future ruined, living a life worse than death!"

“You…you…” Lin Qinshuang pointed at Minglan, her fingers trembling violently, as if she had seen a vengeful ghost. Finally, a broken scream escaped her throat: “It…it was you! You killed Feng’er! You plotted this…”

"What about me?"

Minglan coldly interrupted, even though it had nothing to do with her, she deliberately admitted to it now in order to make Lin Qinshuang regret and despair!

“Originally, I didn’t want to scheme against Third Brother,” her eyes flashed coldly, “but… I’m afraid I have to thank you for this. If you hadn’t hired someone, I wouldn’t have hurt Third Brother!”

"Lin Qinshuang, in the end, you're the one who harmed him! I just... gave him a push, making this retribution come faster and more thoroughly!"

This undisguised "admission" completely shattered Lin Qinshuang's last shred of reason.

"Aww!!—"

She let out a bloodcurdling scream, utterly inhuman: "Ah—! My Feng'er! Mo'er! Retribution! Retribution—!"

Thank you so much for your support, 1981 strokes in total!