Do You Know?: Rule the World.

Chapter 124 Sheng Hong Admits His Mistake, Ending the Relationship with Lin Qinshuang
Linxi Pavilion, with its gauze curtains hanging low.

Lin Qinshuang removed her hairpins and jewelry, and lay diagonally on the bed, looking every bit the sickly beauty Xi Shi.

In her view, Sheng Hong was always one to be swayed by gentle persuasion but not by force; if she pretended to be sick, he would surely soften his heart.

After a few days, when his anger subsided, he would go to her again, offer her a cup of tea, and exchange a few intimate words.

The matter was then easily resolved, and Mo'er was able to marry into the Liang family as she wished.

In any case, this has been the way things have been all these years. Wang Ruofu lost because he didn't know how to admit defeat and play the victim.

Hearing footsteps outside, Lin Qinshuang knew it was Sheng Hong. She turned slightly to the side, deliberately exposing her fair wrist outside the quilt.

"Squeak—" The door was pushed open.

Lin Qinshuang coughed lightly twice and said in a sweet voice, "What brings Honglang here? Don't look at me like that, I'm sick, I look terrible~"

Sheng Hong, his face grim, gritted his teeth and cooperated with her, "Has Shuang'er sent someone to invite a doctor to take a look?"

"Without my beloved Hong Lang coming, how could I dare disturb others? I'm just feeling guilty and depressed, unable to eat or sleep, so I'm just enduring it all."

After saying that, she struggled to sit up, looking as frail as a willow in the wind.

When she turned her gaze to Sheng Hong, her face changed drastically in fright.

"Honglang..."

Sheng Hong forced himself to sit on the soft couch behind the screen. "Stop pretending. Get up. I have something to ask you."

Lin Qinshuang's eyes darted around, and she hurriedly knelt down in front of him, crying and pleading, "Honglang, I was just confused for a moment. If you want to punish me, just do it to me."

"And then?" Sheng Hong looked at him coldly, his eyes devoid of any of the affection he once had.

"Since things have already escalated to this point, and rumors are spreading everywhere, why not go to the Liang family to propose marriage right away, set a date, and hold the wedding? It would save face for everyone."

"Given our family's current status, even though Mo'er is born out of wedlock, it would be a perfect match for her to become the legitimate wife of the Earl's family!"

"Honglang, please agree to my request." Lin Qinshuang frowned slightly and sobbed softly, as if she was about to faint at any moment.

Upon hearing this, Sheng Hong felt a sharp pain in his heart.

"Rumors... Shuang'er, Mo'er is your own daughter, why do you have to treat her like this?"

Sheng Hong couldn't understand why she would do such a shameful thing, since he had chosen men for Mo Lan who were both knowledgeable and talented.

Even if he is sent to a remote place, with the support of the Sheng family, his return to the capital is just around the corner.

Most importantly, with such a family in her husband's family, Mo Lan doesn't need to worry about anyone's feelings when she marries into the family.

Just like Wang Ruofu back then, she ruled her own home with great power.

"Mo'er has been pampered since childhood. She is intelligent and quick-witted, and she excels in every aspect of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting at home."

"It is true that I was born into a criminal family, but when you were having an affair with me, you never cared about that."

“If you marry Mo’er off to a minor official who is only a third-ranked scholar, she will have to endure at least ten years of hardship before she can return to the capital.”

"If he's useless, how many times in his life will Mo'er come back?" Lin Qinshuang clutched her chest, her voice particularly sorrowful.

Sheng Hong raised his hand and frowned. "But Madam Wu has taken a liking to Minglan."

"You insist on using such despicable means to force Mo'er into the Earl's mansion. Even if it succeeds, do you think she will have a good life in the Liang family afterward?"

"Why not? Liang's sixth son is deeply in love with Mo'er and will marry no one but her. She is also the rightful first wife!"

"As long as we bring a generous dowry and send her off in style, no one in the Liang family will look down on her!"

"Honglang, please show some love to Mo'er. She is your own flesh and blood too."

Lin Qinshuang grabbed Sheng Hong's sleeve, looking like a pear blossom in the rain.

"The Liang family is one of the wealthiest families in Bianjing. Their dowry is more than enough for you, a mere concubine, to live a more dignified life than the main wife!"

"You should have been like the Wei family, content with your lot and properly raising your child. Look at Mo'er, look what you've turned him into!"

"I'm telling you, Hua'er is back!"

"Those two unruly servants of yours were captured by His Highness the Crown Prince's men the moment they stepped outside!"

Sheng Hong's eyes were filled with exhaustion and pain. He knew that if he wanted to end this matter, he would have to beat Lin Qinshuang to death.

"What? How could His Highness the Crown Prince know this!"

Lin Qinshuang shook her head, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"The Imperial City Guard oversees all officials. What is my status now? My every move is under the Crown Prince's watchful eye!"

"You bitch, you almost ruined our whole family!"

Having said that, he raised his hand, and Dong Rong, who had been waiting outside, tossed the two maids from Linxi Pavilion in.

The maid knelt on the ground, trembling like a leaf, not daring to utter a single word.

“You…” Lin Qinshuang opened her eyes wide, slumped to the ground, and turned to hug Sheng Hong’s legs tightly.

"Honglang, I know I was wrong. I was just confused for a moment because I was thinking about Mo'er's future!"

Sheng Hong shoved her away, gritting his teeth as he said, "A moment of confusion? I think you've been planning this for a long time, shameless!"

"Shameless? When I was a virgin and we were having sex in broad daylight, did you ever think I was shameless?"

The words "shameless" that Lin Qinshuang blurted out pierced her heart like a knife.

Sheng Hong has the least right to criticize himself!
"Shuang'er, in your heart, has our relationship always been so unbearable?"

Lin Qinshuang looked up at him, her mind racing.

The old lady kept saying she wanted to beat Mo Lan to death, but the news didn't get out. Even the Crown Prince and Hua Lan came forward.

I probably have no way to survive, so why bother coaxing him?
She's had enough of pretending all these years!

"Yes!"

"Back then, as the only daughter of the Lin family, I possessed all the qualities of talent, beauty, and family background. I could have married into a noble family as their first wife."

"If it weren't for my father's crime and the old lady's meanness, how could I have abandoned all shame to be your concubine for twenty years, enduring humiliation and being looked down upon, even making Mo'er's marriage inferior to others!"

Upon hearing this, Sheng Hong swayed as if he had been punched in the chest.

"Shuang'er, you weren't like this before. You were clearly admiring my talent and couldn't control your deep feelings for me..."

He kept talking to himself, as if the sky was about to fall.

For the past twenty years, I have been completely devoted to Shuang'er!
She was willing to offend the old lady and Wang Ruofu for her sake, but in the end, Shuang'er was just deceiving herself.

"I'll say whatever Honglang likes to hear," Lin Qinshuang said, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Enraged, Sheng Hong couldn't help but raise his hand, but he didn't actually hit him; instead, he slapped himself in the face.

He still had feelings for Lin Qinshuang after all.

She had to give her up simply for the sake of her own and her children's future.

"Tie her up, gag her, and wait for your fate."

After leaving these words to the old women guarding Linxi Pavilion.

Sheng Hong forbade Dong Rong from following him and staggered alone, looking utterly lost, to the study.

In Wei Rui Xuan, Ru Lan, exhausted from crying, had curled up on the soft couch and fallen into a deep sleep, with tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes.

Wang Ruofu had been examined by a doctor and was found to be fine. At this moment, she was holding Hualan and crying incessantly.

"She encouraged her daughter to have an affair and even tried to spread rumors."

"That bitch thinks that since Mo Lan can't marry into a wealthy family, she wants to drag the whole family down with her!" Wang Ruofu said bitterly, tears streaming down her face.

Hua Lan took a handkerchief and kept wiping away her tears.

"Mother, don't worry. Fortunately, the news hasn't spread. This time, Lin Shi has no choice but to die."

“It would be better if that bitch died! But…wouldn’t His Highness despise you because of this? Changbai is still in the Hanlin Academy.”

Thinking of this, Wang Ruofu burst into tears again.

Hua Lan gently shook her head and held her hand tightly. "Your Highness is very perceptive. The fact that you let me come back now shows that you are not angry about what happened in the inner quarters."

"Mother, don't overthink it. Crying will only harm your health and be counterproductive."

Wang Ruofu stared at Hua Lan and said in a trembling voice, "It's good that Your Highness hasn't abandoned you. This is a disaster sown by your father, and I can't control it anymore!"

Hua Lan lowered her eyes and thought for a moment.

"Husbands and wives should share joys and sorrows. This matter should indeed be handled by the father himself, but the mother shouldn't keep putting on airs."

“I know it’s rare for you to come to our home, so let your mother have a good look at you.”

"Okay." Hua Lan smiled gently.

Meanwhile, Minglan sat on a soft couch by the window, hugging her knees, staring blankly at the bright moon outside the window.

-

The following day, in the study of a side hall in the East Palace.

Sheng Hong's eyes were bloodshot, and there were dark circles under his eyes, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept all night.

He was standing nervously inside the hall.

"Your Highness, I have failed in managing my household and have allowed my concubine to commit such a disgraceful act. I deserve to die!"

After saying that, his legs gave way and he knelt down with a thud.

Zhao Han stood before the desk, hands behind his back, looking down at Sheng Hong without saying a word.

The hall was eerily quiet for a moment, until his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat.

Zhao Han said in a deep voice, "In the past, Lord Sheng's reputation for favoring his concubines was well known throughout Yangzhou."

"On the day when Consort Wei gave birth, if it weren't for the Sixth Miss coming to invite me, I'm afraid there would have been two more deaths in the manor."

"At the time, Lord Sheng was a prefectural judge, yet he simply let the matter drop, which truly baffles me."

Upon hearing this, Sheng Hong trembled all over, his ears ringing, "Your subject... Your subject..."

Seeing that he could barely speak, Zhao Han simply answered for him, "Lord Sheng is reluctant to punish his beloved concubine. In any case, that Wei Xiaoniang isn't dead, so he simply turns a blind eye." Sheng Hong immediately broke out in a cold sweat, not expecting that he knew all these things.

"All the mistakes are mine. If Your Highness wishes to punish me, I am willing to bear the consequences."

"I only ask that Your Highness not take your anger out on Hua'er and Changbai, they are both rare good children."

Zhao Han's eyes flickered slightly, and he said unhurriedly, "I wonder how Lord Sheng intends to handle this matter?"

"Naturally, the Lin family should be executed to prevent future troubles."

“But… Mo’er is still young. She must have been bewitched by the Lin family to do this, Your Majesty…”

Sheng Hong never dared to raise his head. As a father, he couldn't bring himself to beat his daughter to death.

"Well, the Liang family isn't a good place to go anyway."

"If it weren't for Liang Liulang's concubine being close to giving birth, the Liang family wouldn't have gone to such lengths to curry favor with him."

"Since the fourth young lady of the household insists on this, let her marry him."

Liang Liulang was an idle, lecherous, and frivolous fellow. His concubine, Chun Ke, was resourceful and had Lady Wei backing her up.

If he remembers correctly, Mo Lan was rejected less than half a month after their marriage.

In order to win over Liang Liulang, she had no choice but to send her dowry maids one by one to become concubines.

Ultimately, he ended up being betrayed and isolated by everyone.

Furthermore, he had already sent someone to the Five Cities Military Command to make arrangements, thus bringing the matter of the vacancy for the Marquis of Liang Liulang to a complete end.

Because of this incident, Madam Wu will definitely not like her.

And let Mo Lan watch helplessly as her sisters marry into high-ranking families, living glamorous and respectable lives.

For someone as self-important as her, this was far more painful than death.

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Highness." A hint of pain flashed across Sheng Hong's eyes.

No wonder the old lady was hesitant to express her opinion; it turns out there was such a sordid affair in the Liang family's inner quarters.

"The ground is cold, Lord Sheng, please get up and reply."

Sheng Hong wiped his sweat with his sleeve and nodded repeatedly, but his legs were still weak. Seeing this, the eunuch next to him quickly stepped forward to help him up.

"Your Majesty, I will strictly discipline my children and maintain order in our household from now on, and I will never again allow such shameful things to taint Your Majesty's ears."

Zhao Han glanced at him and said slowly, "Lord Sheng has been cautious in the officialdom all these years."

"It would be a real pity if one's future were ruined because of neglecting one's home."

“Your Highness is right. I used to think that she was just a bit spoiled and had a good heart, so I always protected her to make up for the regret of witnessing my mother’s tragic death when I was young.”

"I never imagined that I would spoil her so much that she would become so arrogant and ignorant. I deeply regret my actions."

Sheng Hong sighed softly, his heart filled with anguish at the thought that Lin Qinshuang's sweet words were all just deceiving him.

"It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost. It's good that Shanda can sincerely correct its mistakes."

"Is the old lady in your household disturbed by this matter, given her advanced age?"

Seeing that Zhao Han was still concerned about the old lady, Sheng Hong breathed a sigh of relief and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."

"I already asked the physician to go and see her. My mother is fine. She just needs a few doses of calming medicine."

"That's good. The sixth young lady in your household is also timid."

“She was only eight or nine years old back then. She was running around in a sorry state, her face covered in sweat, begging me to save her mother. I still remember that scene vividly.”

At this point, Minglan's image comes to mind. The plan has succeeded, and she must be feeling relieved now.

“Ming’er has always been a well-behaved girl, and I will certainly do my best to make it up to her in the future.”

Zhao Han waved her hand gently, "Go back, Lord Sheng, there are still things waiting for you at the manor."

"My minister retire."

Sheng Hong bowed deeply and returned to the Sheng residence with heavy steps.

The Earl of Yongchang's Mansion, the Liang family.

Liang Liulang knelt in the main hall with his head down, a clear handprint still visible on his left cheek.

Lord Liang's face darkened, and he roared, "You wicked child! How could my Liang family produce such a shameless creature like you!"

"You can cause trouble at home all you want, but you even went and tried to seduce the Sheng family's daughter!"

After saying that, he suddenly grabbed the teacup on the table and smashed it.

Liang Liulang dared not dodge and let the hot tea spill all over him.

A barely perceptible smile flashed across Liang Hui and his wife, Ms. Wei's, eyes.

Madam Wu looked at her son with a mixture of disappointment and anger. When she heard the news, she was so angry she wanted to die.

No wonder he's been going to Yuqing Temple every few days lately!

"Father, please calm down. It was the Fourth Miss who disguised herself as a maid and secretly went to Yuqing Temple to seduce your son."

"My son and the fourth daughter were originally in love, but my mother always disagreed with proposing marriage to the Sheng family."

Lord Liang gritted his teeth and said, "If it were me, I wouldn't agree either!"

"They're supposed to be a respectable family, yet they've raised such a shameless girl!"

"The commander of the Five Cities Garrison just sent someone to tell me that His Highness the Crown Prince is furious, and you can forget about ever holding an official position again!"

Liang Han looked up at him, her face showing a hint of panic.

"What...what should we do? Father, Mother, you must help your son think of a solution."

Madam Wu took a deep breath. "What other way is there?"

"Let me tell you, I would never want a girl like that. Let's see what the Sheng family thinks first."

"If the Fourth Miss really enters the manor, your monthly allowance will be halved from now on."

"I must let her know that the Liang family's door is not a place where one can enter through such underhanded means!"

Lord Liang pointed at him fiercely, silently praying that the Crown Prince would not take his anger out on his eldest son because of this wretched child.

-

Within just three to five days, the Sheng and Liang families had finalized their engagement and begun preparing for the wedding.

Wang Ruofu was angry and naturally unwilling to make proper arrangements. To save face, she picked out the cheapest bracelet from her makeup box as part of her dowry.

The Liang family did the same, only arranging for a flower bridge to carry her from the Sheng family into their home.

From the time of the incident to her marriage, less than a month had passed. On the day Mo Lan was sent off, inside the Sheng family ancestral hall.

Dong Rong, who was wielding the cane, went all out and killed Zhou Xueniang. Then it was Lin Qinshuang's turn.

Lin Qinshuang's mouth was gagged, and she struggled in pain, only able to let out muffled screams.

When Lin Qinshuang was in charge of the household, Zhou Xueniang kept seducing her and she did many things against her conscience.

If they still have a breath left, they will bite themselves out.

Dong Rong remained expressionless, wielding the paddle with extreme force.

Sheng Hong knelt on the prayer mat, gazing at the ancestral tablets of the Sheng family, tears welling in his eyes.

"My lord, the sixth young lady says she is afraid and wishes you to come over." The servant guarding outside came to deliver the message.

Sheng Hong raised his hand to wipe away his tears, and couldn't help but recall Zhao Han's words. He turned to look at Lin Qinshuang, then got up and left.

Before long, Wei Xiaoniang brought Xiaodie into the ancestral hall.

Xiao Die took out some loose silver from her sleeve and stuffed it into Dong Rong's hand, saying softly, "Brother Dong Rong, my lady has something to say to Lin Shi. Please be lenient with her."

Dong Rong accepted the silver and nodded repeatedly, for Lin Shi was now on her deathbed.

Moreover, in the future, the one who will win Sheng Hong's heart will surely be this Miss Wei.

So he bowed and said, "I will stand guard outside the door. Please hurry, sir. If the master comes back and sees this, it will be difficult to explain."

"Thank you, Brother Dongrong." Xiaodie smiled slightly at her.

Wei Xiaoniang squatted down and reached out to tear the rag out of Lin Qinshuang's mouth.

Lin Qinshuang struggled to lift her eyes to look at her, and said haltingly, "Wei family... I, Mo'er, stole your daughter's marriage. You must be so angry you want to vomit blood right now..."

"Ming'er never thought of marrying into the Liang family."

Lin Qinshuang struggled to lift herself up from the ground.

"How could that be? Minglan and Madam Wu have been getting close to each other repeatedly. If she didn't want to, why would she do it?"

Seeing that Wei Xiaoniang's expression was calm and without any ripples, she suddenly felt uneasy.

"You did this on purpose...you deliberately made my Mo'er take such a risk!"

Wei Xiaoniang lowered her eyes, her tone neither hurried nor slow.

"Back then, I asked myself if I had ever offended you, but you repeatedly plotted to harm me. Now, this is karma coming back to bite me."

"You were the one who started this conflict; you wanted to take away all of Sheng Hong's love for me."

Lin Qinshuang knew that Sheng Hong liked women with talent.

Wei was well-read, exceptionally beautiful, and came from a more respectable family than herself.

I felt rather vulgar in her presence; keeping such a woman at home would only bring trouble sooner or later.

“I never intended to take anything from you; you brought this all on yourself.”

After leaving those words, Wei Xiaoniang stood up, and Xiaodie covered her mouth again.

Outside the ancestral hall, Xiaodie said, "The Lin family has gone mad and is making wild accusations. Brother Dongrong, you'd better hurry."

Dong Rong nodded, went into the ancestral hall, and finished off Lin Qinshuang with a few blows.

(End of this chapter)