Chapter 155: I Am Still the One Who Calls the Shots in This Household

"Slap!" Wei Wei Shuyi slapped the table, startling Minglan.

"Who told you this!" Wei Wei Shuyi asked sharply.

"Fourth Sister was muttering about it while returning to Linqi Pavilion, and I overheard!" Minglan replied tremulously, looking at Wei Wei Shuyi with fear.

"Your grandmother is your father's principal mother; though not born of her, she raised your father with her own hands, pouring her heart and soul into cultivating him into such a talent—how is this different from being biological!" Hearing Wei Wei Shuyi's words, Minglan lowered her head and said nothing.

"Do you still remember what I told you that day about the young lady Seeing Qingcao serving your cousin Jing and your sister Sister Xiaodie?" Wei Wei Shuyi asked.

Minglan nodded and said, "I remember; it was Young Lady Seeing Qingcao who shielded Sister Sister Xiaodie from disaster."

"Brother Jing will eventually return to Bianjing; since Seeing Qingcao in his service inadvertently saved your sister Sister Xiaodie, should you not repay him?"

"Although he always calls me 'yellow-haired girl,' I ought to repay him, but what does that have to do with me going before Grandmother?"

"Once he returns to Bianjing, he cannot be before your grandmother; would your going there not be helping him fulfill his filial duty? Moreover, there is your sister Sheng Hualan; as you just said, she is to marry into the Xu family, so your going before Grandmother would also be helping your sister Sheng Hualan," Wei Wei Shuyi said gently.

"Then I will go before Grandmother only after Sister Sheng Hualan has gone to the Xu family," Minglan said, pouting.

Wei Wei Shuyi said somewhat angrily, "Very well, then when will you go before your grandmother? For that is when I shall eat!"

"Mother, no, you cannot do this; you are with child."

"Then go serve at Grandmother's side; whether she wants you or not is for the Old Lady to decide! But if you are so unfilial and ungrateful, I might as well be dead!" Wei Wei Shuyi said, her face stern, her eyes fixed on Minglan with absolute resolve.

"Mother... I will go," Minglan said, her eyes filled with tears.

"Good."

In Linqi Pavilion, they were not discussing which child the Old Lady would raise, but rather Sheng Hualan's marriage.

"Wei Xiaoniang, with the Eldest Miss securing such a good marriage, there can be no harm to us!"

"How can there be no harm! That shrew Wang Wang Ruofu already acts arrogant and domineering relying on her family background; now that the Eldest Miss marries into the Xu family and she gains the influence of the Hou Fu, who knows how she will bully us in the future!"

"But if the Eldest Miss marries so well, when our own miss discusses her marriage later, would it not be even better?"

Lin Lin Qinshuang frowned, nodded, and continued, "I did not expect that for the Old Lady of Shou'an Hall's birthday celebration, a Duke from Bianjing would come to offer congratulations; I truly underestimated her before."

"Wei Xiaoniang, speak carefully. Dongrong just delivered a message saying the Master has ordered the mansion gates sealed tightly tomorrow; no one in the inner courtyard is to go out," Zhou Zhou Xueniang said, then looked at Lin Lin Qinshuang.

Lin Lin Qinshuang said with some surprise in her eyes, "This has never happened before; could it be that something is about to occur?"

The day after the birthday celebration of the Old Lady of the Sheng family, Assistant Prefect of Yang Zhou.

The Wang family had already returned early to Runzhou.

Qi Qi Yiqiu, the Duke of Qi from Bianjing, displayed the banner of 'Commissioner for Pacification and Administration of Huainan East Circuit,' taking control of military and civil administration along the route.

The nearly six hundred Imperial Guards accompanying him, together with the Xuyi Army that had been transferred, controlled the entire city of Yang Zhou.

Subsequently, officials of all levels in Yang Zhou were summoned to the prefectural yamen; among them, some were seized on the spot—those arrested were mostly officials along the salt administration line, including Qi family members serving as supervisors in the Yang Zhou Salt Tax Office, whose evidence of collusion with salt merchants was conclusive, leading to their immediate arrest and imprisonment.

When the various institutions of a nation begin to operate, dealing with merchants in ancient times was an absolute overwhelming force; one official token after another was dispatched by Qi Qi Yiqiu, and under the assistance and supervision of the Imperial Guards in the capital and the clerks and soldiers of the Palace Bureau, arrests of officials and merchants in Yang Zhou were carried out.

The first to be arrested were the Bai family members attached to Bai Bai Wanshu's Salt Compound; their crimes included not only tax evasion and smuggling private salt but also harming current court nobles, making escape from a capital sentence nearly impossible.

The salt merchants, who had been fine just yesterday, found themselves tightly surrounded by the Great Zhou imperial troops this morning; when the Bai family was arrested, these salt merchants were simultaneously raided in their homes by imperial soldiers, and even the direct lineage of the salt merchants could not escape.

Furthermore, several Yang Zhou official families colluding with salt merchants were shackled by Yamen Runners; in an instant, the streets throughout the entire city of Yang Zhou were filled mostly with arrested criminals.

The official families of Yang Zhou were also filled with panic.

Of course, there were fierce individuals who had smuggled excessive amounts of private salt and knew that capture meant death, so they resisted desperately; but against the infantry of the Tianwu Army, their efforts seemed inadequate, for in these peaceful times of the Great Zhou, the armor and crossbows of the imperial troops were undoubtedly the strongest.

Moreover, with the assistance of soldiers from the Palace Bureau, dealing with these bandits was like chopping melons and slicing vegetables; Xu Xu Zaijing and the Hou Fu personal guards did not even need to move.

Thanks to preparations made by Bai Bai Wanshu, Yang Zhou had ample ready salt, and reorganizing a new group of salt merchants from the subordinates of previous ones was hardly difficult; with deliberate planning against unprepared opponents, the salt affairs of Yang Zhou underwent transition without any major disruption.

Those salt merchants who had plotted to send Bai Bai Wanshu away were sent off together by Bai Bai Wanshu and the Duke of Qi.

This turmoil in the Yang Zhou officialdom, led by Commissioner Qi Qi Yiqiu, operated by the Judicial Intendant, and assisted by the Palace Bureau, lasted less than ten days before everything returned to calm.

Soon the government issued proclamations to reassure the people, and the lives of Yang Zhou's citizens began to function normally again.

Hong, the Department Magistrate, Sheng, the Assistant Prefect, and other Yang Zhou officials who assisted the Duke of Qi and bore no guilt finally had time to return home.

During this period of less than half a month, Sheng Hong had to affix his precious seal to every policy document issued by the Commissioner and Department Magistrate Hong.

On the record of merits for the Duke of Qi's rectification of salt affairs, Sheng Hong could thus share in some of the credit.

Having seen so many former colleagues and subordinates arrested and imprisoned in recent days, Sheng Hong felt somewhat uncomfortable in his heart, so upon returning from the yamen to the Sheng family, he went immediately to Shou'an Hall to pay respects to the Old Lady.

The sky was still fairly bright when Sheng Hong, hearing the announcement by a young maid from Shou'an Hall, entered the main hall of Shou'an Hall.

In the main hall, three of Sheng Hong's daughters were present beside the Old Lady: Sheng Hualan, Seeing Mo Lan, and, to his surprise, Minglan; upon seeing Sheng Hong, the three Lans all bowed in greeting.

"I have matters to discuss with your father; you may leave first," the Old Lady said, and the three Lans obediently exited Shou'an Hall under Sheng Hualan's lead.

"Has everything gone smoothly these past days?" the Old Lady asked casually.

"Replying to Mother, naturally it has been smooth; with the Duke of Qi present, this son can also share in some small merit," Sheng Hong replied respectfully; without the Old Lady's connection, although he had committed no errors for anyone to seize upon, sharing in the merit would have been somewhat difficult.

Mama Fang thoughtfully presented a bowl of pear soup; Sheng Hong hurriedly accepted it, placed it on a nearby table, and smiled at Old Lady Sheng, saying:

"Mother, how has your health been these recent days? The Physician previously suggested keeping a child by your side; among the children, this son finds Mo'er to be the most knowledgeable in books and rites, well-behaved and sensible; would it not be better for Mother to have her come to your side to bring joy to your old age?"

After Sheng Hong finished speaking, the Old Lady did not respond; she held the bowl, sipping the pear soup with a spoon, then set the bowl down and simply gazed quietly at the wall of Shou'an Hall.

Sheng Hong, holding the soup bowl and about to take a few sips, followed the Old Lady's line of sight and discovered an embroidered painting he had never seen before hanging there.

"Mother, whose work of embroidery mastery is this? It is truly beautifully embroidered! The character Li, a female general, a mountain pass... could it be the former dynasty's Princess Pingyang, whose heroism rivaled that of men?" Sheng Hong asked ingratiatingly of Old Lady Sheng.

"Indeed, it is an embroidered painting of Lady Li guarding Da Niangzi Pass, but it is not the work of any embroidery master; it is a birthday gift to this old woman," the Old Lady said with a smile.

"Oh, no wonder it looked familiar; could it be what Minglan was holding in her hands that day—" Sheng Hong cut off his words; just now, when he asked the Old Lady about raising a child, she had remained silent but gazed at this embroidered painting, which was almost explicitly telling Sheng Hong the Old Lady's answer.

Sheng Hong felt some anger toward Wei Wei Shuyi, the concubine brought by Wang Wang Ruofu! How dare she have the audacity to contend for this opportunity?

This opportunity was clearly most suitable for his daughter Seeing Mo Lan, for whether in terms of Sheng Hong's greatest skill, calligraphy, or his emphasis on face, Seeing Mo Lan resembled him the most!

Sheng Hong wished to persuade Old Lady Sheng a few more times, but the words stuck in his throat.

If the Yuan family had not encountered such an incident before, Sheng Hualan, according to Sheng Hong's wishes, would have become engaged to the Zhongqin Count's Manor.

Sheng Hong himself was successful in his official career and about to be promoted to Bianjing.

The success of these two matters—his children's marriages and his own career path—would make Sheng Hong increasingly confident; when differing in opinion with his principal mother, he became more and more stubbornly insistent on his own views, even subtly pressuring the Old Lady to agree to his suggestions.

However, a major blunder occurred in the Yuan family's marriage arrangements; the scandal became known to everyone in Bianjing and Yang Zhou, nearly ruining Sheng Hualan's reputation;

During these days of violent turmoil in the Yang Zhou officialdom, the Old Lady's relatives had already received news several days ago;

The Gao family of Laizhou, which his Wu Da Da Niangzi felt quite good about, was even exposed by the Old Lady in a few words regarding the hidden mechanisms within;

Sheng Hong also did not believe that the Duke of Qi and the Empress's nephew visiting the Sheng family was due to any regard for his own face as the father of a Tanhua scholar;

This series of events made Sheng Hong see his true strength clearly; it was not that the Old Lady could not manage him or control him, but simply that she was unwilling to do so.

This made Sheng Hong feel somewhat distressed, as if despite his efforts over several decades, he was still that young child summoned before his principal mother.

If he recalled things more carefully, he would discover that for many major life decisions, had the Old Lady not been behind him offering strategies and plans, he would not even have reached this step, which made Sheng Hong feel even more distressed.

He had encountered this feeling of distress at Wu Wu Daniang's place as well; the only thing that could make his heart feel comfortable was the gentle, water-like, delicate and weak Shuang'er in the Linxi Pavilion.

Therefore, Sheng Hong hesitated to speak and ultimately said nothing.

"You have been tired for so long; go rest immediately," the Old Lady said after glancing at him.

"Yes, Mother; then your son takes his leave."

As soon as Sheng Hong stepped out of the Shou'an Hall door, his expression immediately turned ugly, while Dongrong beside him was as timid as a winter cicada.

Before even reaching the corridor at the gate, two figures suddenly ran over and stopped in front of Sheng Hong, and the girl in front spoke with a crisp and lively voice: "Father! You have finally returned!"

The girl behind her simply called out, "Master."

Sheng Hong, whose wish to have Seeing Mo Lan raised in Shou'an Hall had not been fulfilled, was already in a bad mood; upon seeing Minglan now, he felt an abnormal surge of anger, so his condescending expression and the way he looked at people were somewhat frightening.

Minglan and Xiao Xiao Xiaotao were instantly frightened, their bright and brilliant eyes immediately shrinking in fear.

"Father..." Minglan lowered her head, not daring to say anything further.

"Let's go to Lady Wei's place; in my courtyard, I am still able to make the decisions!" Sheng Hong said, waving his sleeve.

Speaking thus, Sheng Hong walked quickly toward the side courtyard, paying no attention to Minglan who was trotting alongside him; Minglan tried several times to take Sheng Hong's hand but did not quite dare, and ultimately only used her sleeve to wipe away the tears flowing from her eyes.

The group arrived at the side courtyard; Sheng Hong abruptly lifted the curtain and entered the room, only to find Wei Wei Shuyi, heavily pregnant, frowning and looking over from inside.

After recognizing the visitor, Wei Wei Shuyi relaxed her furrowed brow; having known this day would come ever since she planned to send Minglan to the Old Lady, she felt little panic; facing Sheng Hong directly, Wei Wei Shuyi and Sister Sister Xiaodie squatted together in a bow.

This caused Sheng Hong's momentum to stall; sitting on the embroidered stool that Sister Sister Xiaodie had brought over, Minglan, her eyes full of tears, also entered the room; Sheng Hong, who had not spoken to Minglan the whole way, hastily changed the subject, saying, "You want Minglan to go before Mother tomorrow?"

"Replying to Master, yes; this concubine's body is becoming heavier by the day, making it truly difficult to look after Minglan properly; having just heard that the Old Lady wishes to raise a child, I thought to let Minglan frequently visit Shou'an Hall."

"Mm, very good; Minglan is also a filial child."

"It is all due to the deep kindness of the Old Lady and the Wu Da Da Niangzi."

"If you feel you lack enough hands, I will have a few female servants transferred from Linxi Pavilion; Minglan is still young, so do not let her leave your side yet. Is that not so, Minglan?" Speaking thus, Sheng Hong smiled at Minglan.

Minglan looked at Sheng Hong somewhat at a loss, then looked at Wei Wei Shuyi, her expression showing great eagerness.

"This humble self is merely a concubine of the Sheng family; all expenditures are decided by the Wu Da Da Niangzi, so this humble self dares not act arbitrarily," Wei Wei Shuyi replied with a slight smile.

Hearing these words, Sheng Hong raised his brows and looked at Wei Wei Shuyi, some impatience visible in his eyes.

At this moment, a voice came from outside the room: "Wei Xiaoniang?"

Hearing the words, Sister Sister Xiaodie hurriedly walked out of the room; arriving in the courtyard, she saw Mama Cui from Shou'an Hall standing smiling at the courtyard entrance, accompanied by a woman who bore some resemblance to their own Wei Xiaoniang, Wei Wei Shuyi.

Mama Cui nodded to Dongrong at the room entrance, then entered the side courtyard room together with Sister Sister Xiaodie; inside the room, Sheng Hong looked at Mama Cui and offered an awkward smile.

"Master, this is the younger sister of Wei Xiaoniang Wei's family; while asking for directions by the roadside at the entrance, she happened to meet Brother Jing; the Old Lady specifically instructed this servant to bring her here."

"Thank you for your trouble, Mama Cui," Sheng Hong said.

Wei Wei Yuyi squatted in a bow behind Mama Cui toward Sheng Hong: "Assistant Prefect, peace and health."

Sheng Hong stood up and with difficulty squeezed out a smile.

"Well then, you sisters chat," Sheng Hong said as he stood up and left the side courtyard.

"Lady Wei, well then, please enter the room and chat with our Wei Xiaoniang," Mama Cui said with a smile.

Inside the room, the always very calm expression on Wei Wei Shuyi's face showed ripples; her face was smiling, but her eyes were full of tears.

Stuck in writer's block until feeling ecstatic yet dying,

If there are any typos or awkward passages, please do not hesitate to point them out, respected readers.

(`) Heart love

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(End of Chapter)