From that day onward, Minglan seemed to have mustered all her energy. Regardless of how vividly the rumors spread outside about Zhang Gu's defeat and death, she focused solely on getting ample sleep, eating well, and persisting with walks and activities. About three or four days later, the Tu family brothers returned from outside, escorting a travel-worn mother and son from their carriage.
Tu Long stood under the corridor, cupping his hands respectfully. "Reporting to you, Madam, we have returned from Lord Liu's place. As per your instructions, each of the brothers who captured them has been given twenty taels. The individuals have now been brought and were just handed over to Cui Mama."
Minglan stood erect inside the main hall, one hand supporting her lower back. "Thank you for your efforts, Master Tu."
The Tu family brothers, without glancing sideways, tucked their hands into their sleeves and bowed in unison before taking their leave.
Xiaotao supported Minglan as she slowly stepped out, with Lüzhi and others following behind. The group walked along the long covered corridor, passing through the side moon gate, and the surroundings instantly fell silent. No laughter or conversation could be heard, only the faint chirping of insects and birds.
Arriving at a secluded room, Minglan stepped inside. The interior was bare, with only an armchair at the head and a small table beside it, devoid of any other furnishings. Cui Mama stood with several sturdy maidservants stationed around the room, glaring resentfully at the mother and son standing in the center.
Minglan sat down steadily, lightly resting her arms on the chair's armrests. She smiled faintly and said, "I intended to say 'long time no see,' but upon seeing you today, you look at least ten years older than before. They say Mianzhou's climate nurtures people, yet you seem to have deteriorated even more."
Man Niang slowly raised her head. Her hair was disheveled, her face haggard, and her deliberately shabby clothing could not conceal her aged appearance. She murmured softly, "We are lowly folk, not as noble as you, Madam. You appear even more youthful and beautiful than in the past."
Minglan raised an eyebrow and turned to the boy beside Man Niang. "You must be Chang Ge'er. Do you recognize me?"
The boy, about eight or nine years old, had a fair complexion but a frail frame. He tightly clutched his mother's sleeve, head bowed low. Upon hearing the question, he quickly glanced up, his face filled with wariness and resentment. As soon as he met Minglan's gaze, he hurriedly lowered his head again.
Minglan did not miss the expression in his eyes and sighed softly. "Cui Mama, have someone take Chang Ge'er to the west wing for some snacks. Ask Rong Jie'er to join them as well—it has been years since the siblings last saw each other."
Before the boy could struggle or resist, four strong women rushed forward. Two restrained Man Niang to prevent her from moving, while the other two swiftly picked up Chang Ge'er and carried him out of the room.
Minglan smiled at Man Niang. "Rest assured, for my own sake, I would not let anything happen to the boy in this residence. Sending the child away is merely to have a proper conversation with you."
Though resentful, Man Niang knew Minglan spoke the truth and ceased her struggles. At that moment, two punishment matrons entered—one carrying a high-legged chair, the other holding a bundle of cloth strips.
Minglan lightly clapped her hands three times. The two matrons quickly set to work, assisted by several other strong women. Some held legs and twisted arms, others pressed heads and restrained abdomens, and in moments, Man Niang was securely tied to the chair. Her arms, back, and even her legs were fixed as if welded in place, her toes hovering three inches above the ground, leaving her completely immobilized. The matrons then filed out of the room, leaving only Cui Mama, Xiaotao, and Lüzhi behind.
Man Niang cried out, "When we entered earlier, we were already searched thoroughly and had nothing on us. What more do you intend to do, Madam?"Minglan said calmly, "Nothing much. I'm just afraid that with your Iron Head Copper Bones Skill, you might crack my floor tiles when kowtowing."
Man Niang knew Minglan was referring to that past incident and choked up, weeping pitifully: "...Madam, I was wrong last time. It was all my fault for being foolish and believing Grand Old Madam's sweet words, daring to offend you. When I think back now - you were pregnant at that time, if anything had happened to you, I truly could never atone even with ten thousand deaths..."
She spoke with streaming tears, so emotionally invested that she wished she could knock her head until it bled to prove her sincerity.
Minglan interrupted expressionlessly, "I suggest you save your energy. No matter how pitifully you cry, do you think I'd fall for that? We both know perfectly well what happened in the past. The maids guarding outside are all more than ten steps away from this room, and inside there are only a few of us."
She pointed at Cui Mama and the others, saying mockingly, "Even if I told them to say you were dancing naked in here, they would say it. Therefore..." she smiled, "...let's speak frankly. Once you leave this room, you can deny everything completely."
Man Niang wiped away her tears, slowly clearing the moisture from her eyes, and said coldly, "Fine, let's speak plainly then. My son and I had just entered the capital through Qilin Gate when we were arrested. You're quite resourceful, Madam, even able to command constables at will."
Minglan smiled slightly: "You've mistaken two things. First, those weren't ordinary constables but city garrison troops. Second, how could I command them? That was something the Marquis specifically instructed Lord Liu Zhengjie before he departed."
Man Niang's face suddenly changed color, trembling as she said, "...Are you saying Erlang... he ordered my arrest...?"
"The Marquis said back then that if you dared make trouble again, he wouldn't be polite; yet you refused to believe him." Minglan found her lovesick and incredulous expression quite nauseating.
"But you are quite capable. The news from the front only arrived a few days ago, yet you already learned of it and immediately rushed day and night to the capital... When the Marquis sent you back to Mianzhou back then, you must have left informants in the capital." To be able to leave spies behind while being escorted away weeping and wailing - Minglan did admire such ability and courage somewhat.
Man Niang said coldly, "Madam needn't bother praising me. I'm sure you have your own informants in the countryside too."
Minglan laughed: "You're wrong again. Indeed, people regularly reported your and your son's situation, but it wasn't my order to keep watch - it was the Marquis's instruction. The informants arrived a few days before you, after which I informed Lord Liu according to the Marquis's instructions, and then..."And then there were soldiers waiting for us mother and child at the city gate."Man Niang sneered, then immediately added, 'What does Madam plan to do with us mother and son now?""
Minglan raised an eyebrow: "Wrong again. I should be asking what important business brings you to the capital?"
Man Niang threw back her head and laughed, veins bulging in her neck, before finally saying coldly: "And you call yourself his wife! Erlang's life hangs in the balance at the front, yet you sit here perfectly fine! Erlang treated you so well, do you even have a heart!"
Minglan thought carefully and said, "Then what should I be doing?"Man Niang exclaimed loudly, "Do I even need to say it? Quickly seek help from official circles to see if we can save Erlang's life! Or find out if there are any acquaintances in the northwest! And... go to the palace to see the Emperor, with disheveled hair and bare feet, begging His Majesty to pardon this military defeat in light of Erlang's past achievements!"
Minglan could no longer hold back, covering her mouth as she laughed so hard she couldn't straighten her waist. "You're actually taking what's taught in operas and storybooks seriously?! Disheveled hair and bare feet - is this Wenji saving her husband?!"
It took her a long while to stop laughing. Gasping for breath, she said, "First, the main army has already been fully deployed - where would we find additional troops? Should we ask Lord Liu to take the Garrison defending the capital to the northwest? Second, northwestern strongholds and military affairs are state secrets that even civil officials can't easily inquire about, let alone a woman like me! That would be inviting trouble where none exists! Third, up to now, His Majesty hasn't issued any decree, and even the censors haven't spoken - what pardon would I be begging for?"
Man Niang's face turned ashen from Minglan's laughter, her jaw clenched in pain as she said sharply, "Madam has a crystal-clear heart and is exceptionally clever! But you can't match my devoted heart for Erlang that has left me utterly distraught!"
"Devoted heart? Don't make me laugh. Do you know how His Lordship plans to deal with you?"
Man Niang's face changed dramatically: "He... he..."
Minglan said calmly, "His Lordship said back then that if you dared come bothering us again, you would never see Chang Ge'er in this lifetime?"
Man Niang screamed, "You can't separate us mother and child!"
"Not me - His Lordship doesn't even plan to dirty my hands with this." Minglan shook her head slowly. "According to His Lordship's intention, as soon as Lord Liu captured you, Chang Ge'er was to be sent away immediately to be raised by a kind, well-off family. It was I who asked Lord Liu to bring you here, so Rong Jie'er could see her biological brother one more time."
"...Then... what about me?" Man Niang asked dazedly.
Minglan said coldly, "Can't you see? If His Lordship cared, how could you two have left Mianzhou? But His Lordship only arranged for Chang Ge'er's safety - for you, he never obstructed you at all. Why is that? His Lordship simply doesn't care what you do! After sending Chang Ge'er away, you can go die wherever you want!" Huh? Is this considered entrapment?
Man Niang shook her head desperately, wailing and crying, repeating, "Erlang wouldn't treat me like this! He wouldn't! He wouldn't..." Only now did she truly become afraid. After crying for a long time, she suddenly looked up and stared fixedly at Minglan, pleading mournfully, "Madam, it's all my fault for being foolish and stupid, not knowing what's good for me! I beg you to take Chang Ge'er into the mansion! Since you treat Rong Jie'er so well, you can properly raise him too!"
"I don't need to raise him. Weren't you the one who said you'd rather die than lose your son? Now you're willing." Minglan looked at her faintly, a trace of mockery lifting the corner of her mouth. "It seems you've taught Chang Ge'er very well these past few years."
Teaching him hatred, teaching him revenge, teaching him to constantly mention his birth mother to Gu Tingye, teaching him how to 'get along' with his legitimate younger brothers.
Man Niang's eyes flinched briefly before returning to a sorrowful expression: "Without his birth mother by his side, at least he should be with his father! He's an honest child who will honor you in the future..."
"Chang Ge'er absolutely cannot enter the mansion and be recognized as part of the family." Minglan said. "Those are His Lordship's exact words."Man Niang’s eyes brimmed with venom as she hissed in a low voice, “You vicious woman, you’re spouting nonsense! It must be your instigation—how could Erlang be so cruel to us, his own flesh and blood!”
Minglan studied her for a moment before speaking slowly, “Do you know why the Marquis initially wanted to bring Chang Ge’er into the household? At that time, no one knew whom the Marquis would marry, and Chang Ge’er was still young. It was likely you hadn’t yet had the chance to poison his mind. If the child had entered the household and been gradually guided, there might still have been hope for him—but you flatly refused. Later, the Marquis told me that with a mother like you teaching him, while he couldn’t intervene in other matters, he at least trusted you wouldn’t harm your own son. However, he could never feel at ease having Chang Ge’er raised alongside the children I would bear. As the saying goes, ‘It’s impossible to guard against everything. There are those who scheme for a lifetime, but none who can stay vigilant forever.’”
Man Niang looked as if she had been stabbed through the heart, her face turning as pale as parchment. She muttered under her breath, “I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it. You’re just saying this to upset me. Erlang must still care for us, his own flesh and blood.”
Minglan did not mock her, watching instead as Man Niang deluded herself. After a long silence, she said in a low voice, “Today, I’ll go out of my way to offer you another path for Chang Ge’er.” She sighed. “If you agree to never leave Mianzhou for the rest of your life and cease causing trouble, I will plead with the Marquis to send Chang Ge’er to the Chang family to be raised.”
Man Niang looked up blankly. “…Mama Chang?”
Minglan nodded. “A few days ago, I spoke with Mama Chang. She said that rather than entrusting Chang Ge’er to strangers, she would prefer to raise him herself. After all, Yan Jie’er is already married, and Nian Ge’er is busy studying day and night. In her old age, she has plenty of free time—it would be a perfect arrangement.”
What a kind-hearted old woman, unwilling to see a child suffer, Minglan thought with a soft sigh. She continued, “You know Mama Chang’s character—there’s none more upright. Look at how diligent and promising her own grandson has turned out. Chang Ge’er will surely have a bright future under her care.”
After a long pause, Man Niang asked, “What if I break my promise?”
Minglan blinked and smiled faintly. “Heaven is my witness. Once you agree, I will ensure you have no chance to break it.”
A chill ran down Man Niang’s spine as she looked at Minglan’s gentle smile. She understood the implication: if she agreed, she would be immediately escorted back to Mianzhou. With the influence of the Ningyuan Marquis Household, a mere word to the local officials would be enough to imprison her in that remote mountain valley for the rest of her life.
Seeing the conflict raging within Man Niang, Minglan smiled and asked, “Well? Have you made up your mind?”
Man Niang spat contemptuously and sneered, “You may be silver-tongued, but I don’t believe you! I want to see Erlang—he would never abandon us, his own flesh and blood!”
Minglan felt a pang of disappointment and sighed. “Chang Ge’er… Ah, forget it. He is your son, after all. Let’s follow the Marquis’s original plan.”
She rose slowly, leaning on Xiaotao for support, and left without another glance at the selfish, cold-hearted woman.
Returning to her room, she saw Tuan Ge’er sitting with his chubby little legs crossed, struggling with a shiny brass Nine Interlocking Rings. When he noticed his mother, he immediately dropped the rings, wobbled to his feet from the kang, and stretched out his arms, calling out in a milky voice, “…Mama!”This time she hadn't misidentified him. Filled with tender warmth, Minglan held her son close for a long while. Just as the chubby toddler showed signs of climbing over his mother, Cui Mama hurried over to take him away.
Minglan reclined on the kang, smiling as she watched the little one roll about on the soft cushions. After exhausting himself with playful antics, he sprawled out on his back, his small belly rising and falling as he fell sound asleep.
Gazing at her son's sweet sleeping face, Minglan felt an inexplicable sadness—perhaps it would have been safer to send Chang Ge'er to an unknown place to be raised by a reliable family. Besides, raising a child required so much effort and care. How could she bear to let Mama Chang clean up the Gu family's mess? Sighing, she thought, why create extra trouble for herself?
But... not every woman in this world was qualified to be a mother.
After resting briefly, Lüzhi hurried in and reported in a low voice, "Madam, Chang Ge'er... and his mother have been handed over to Lord Liu." Hearing this, Cui Mama sighed beside her, "Lord Liu has truly gone to great lengths, only... this exposes our family's shame to outsiders."
Minglan couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, thinking that in Liu Zhengjie's line of work, there wasn't a single official's private affairs he didn't know about.
"And Rong Jie'er?"
Lüzhi struggled to contain her excitement, forcing a composed demeanor for fear of Minglan's reproach: "Chang Ge'er no longer recognized Miss Rong. Our young lady tried for a long time to coax him, but it didn't work. The siblings sat together in silence until... that woman arrived... She and her daughter closed the door to talk, but they ended up arguing. Miss Rong ran back to her room in tears. I heard she's still crying now."
Minglan remained silent.
Lüzhi had no choice but to continue, "As per the Marquis's instructions, Chang Ge'er was sent away on one route, and that woman on another, expelled from the capital. The guard sent by Lord Liu shared a few words while drinking with Hao Guanshi—he said if that woman is seen again, she'll immediately be exiled to the desert border."
Minglan continued her silence. Gu Tingye had once said that while most of his brothers who knew the truth were tolerant, Liu Zhengjie often mocked him for being soft-hearted and indecisive, warning that future troubles would be endless. Others might have shown Man Niang some mercy, but Liu Zhengjie would certainly not hold back—and yet, he had entrusted the matter to him.
Just as she was feeling disheartened, someone outside announced Tu Long's request for an audience. Minglan was slightly startled and quickly said, "Ask him to speak in the outer room." Following the sound of heavy footsteps, Tu Long stood in the outer room and said in a low voice, "I apologize for disturbing your rest, Madam. I have something to report."
Minglan gently waved her hand. Cui Mama carefully picked up the chubby toddler and went into the inner room, while Lüzhi stood by the door and called out clearly through the curtain, "Please speak, Master Tu. Madam is listening."
Tu Long said, "While investigating in the city recently, I've felt something amiss. Important military and state affairs from the frontlines—there hasn't been any official gazette report, so how has the news spread? The person who delivered the message to Mianzhou wasn't particularly well-informed either, so how... so quickly...?"
He spoke tactfully, but Minglan understood immediately. In a flash, her heart jolted, and she exclaimed, "Master Tu is right! I've been too close to the situation and didn't consider this!"
She had also wondered about the source of the news of the military defeat but hadn't thought to question it from this angle.
One must understand that in ancient societies, information was blocked, and there was a great fear of rumors spreading and causing unrest. Even if the frontline suffered a major defeat in a military campaign, it would be somewhat whitewashed. But this time, how could such a faint rumor spread so widely and rapidly?!"What does Master Tu mean...?" Minglan asked hesitantly.
Tu Long replied, "I can't quite tell either. But there seems to be unrest in the capital recently. This morning Lord Liu also mentioned many refugees have arrived, most of unclear origins. I'm thinking, above all, we must ensure your safety, Madam. Perhaps we should transfer some skilled martial artists from the manor to guard the residence..."
Minglan pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly.
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