The Story of Ming Lan

"Minglan, little girl, fetch me an orange, peeled," young Rulan called from the swing.

Minglan sat dazedly on a stone stool, gazing at the sky without moving. Rulan called out several more times, and when Minglan still didn't respond, she casually picked up a small pebble and threw it over. Minglan's shoulder stung from the impact, and she turned her head in pain to see young Rulan grinning widely. "You little fool, hurry up and peel an orange for me!"

Minglan sighed silently at the sky and slowly walked to a small side table. Just as she picked up an orange to peel it, a delicate, pretty hand reached out and stopped her. The hand had ten sharp nails stained with pale red Fengxian flower juice.

"Rulan, you're bullying our sixth sister again! Get down here!" Eldest sister Hualan stormed over, pulling Rulan off the swing. "What did Father say the other day? Among us sisters, sixth sister is the youngest. We older sisters should be more considerate and caring toward her. And you? Bullying her all day long! Be careful, or I'll tell Father!"

"Who's bullying her? I just asked her to peel an orange!" Young Rulan puffed out her little belly and planted her hands on her slender waist.

"Are the servants all dead, that you have to order your master to peel an orange?! Or are the maids around you especially precious, that you can't order them?!" Hualan's beautiful eyes glared over, and the three or four maids who had been standing by watching the spectacle quickly bowed their heads and huddled fearfully to the side. "You saw Sixth Sister about to peel an orange, and all of you just stood there like you were dead? Couldn't you stop her?! Such capable maids, now even daring to watch your masters' antics! Tomorrow I'll report to Father and Mother and have you sent back home, where you can watch jokes all day!" Eldest sister Hualan scolded sharply.

Rulan immediately protested, tugging at her elder sister's sleeve and shouting, "Eldest Sister, you're not allowed to bully my people! I'll tell Mother! You're making things difficult for your own sister over a little fool born of a Concubine!"

"Go ahead and tell! I've been wanting to report this for a long time. What 'born of a Concubine'? Sixth Sister is our sister! Besides, Father brought her to Mother, so she's our own sister! If you keep spouting such nonsense about her being born of a Concubine, be careful Father spanks you!" Hualan jabbed Rulan's forehead firmly with her finger.

Rulan fumed but couldn't retort. Minglan kept her head bowed, pretending to be oblivious and saying nothing.

Though Hualan and Rulan were biological sisters, they looked nothing alike. Hualan resembled Sheng Hong—bright, elegant, and beautiful, with a spirited energy between her brows. Rulan took after Madam Wang, with a round face and regular features, her looks somewhat plain. Perhaps she would grow into a dignified appearance later. The Creator had clearly not treated these sisters fairly. Whether in looks, talent, or parental favor, the younger sister fell short of the elder in every way. Minglan could only hope that Rulan's sense of imbalance wouldn't grow worse.Actually, living under Madam Wang's care wasn't all that difficult. Elder sister Hualan and elder brother Changbai already had their own courtyards, while little brother Changdong was still at the drooling stage. The only person Minglan needed to deal with was young miss Rulan. Rulan wasn't truly bad-natured, but she loved throwing tantrums and flaunting her authority, craving daily pampering. However, she couldn't provoke either her elder sister or brother above her, couldn't reach the brother and sister at Consort Lin's side, and found teasing unsteady little Changdong boring. Thus, only unfortunate Minglan remained for her to order around.

Whenever this happened, eldest miss Hualan would descend like the Monkey King to uphold justice. She might not particularly like Minglan, but she couldn't stand Rulan's arrogance. As the favored eldest daughter, her authority in the Sheng residence was second only to the three elders. Scolding younger sisters and punishing servants came naturally to her, and she always spoke with compelling logic.

Minglan felt deeply grateful to this beautiful and authoritative elder sister. She was truly heaven's favored daughter - blessed with looks, family background, and strong character. Minglan sincerely hoped this elder sister would always remain this happy and proud.

Every morning now, Minglan would be carried by her nurse to pay respects to Old Mrs. Sheng along with Madam Wang and others. Before that, the various concubines would have already paid their respects to Madam Wang. Consort Lin's attendance followed a regular pattern - approximately three days of paying respects followed by two days of absence. Her excuse was always universal: physical discomfort. If Sheng Hong had stayed in her room the previous night, she would support her waist complaining of exhaustion; if he hadn't visited, she would press her chest claiming heart fatigue. Each time Consort Lin came to pay respects, Madam Wang needed extensive mental preparation to prevent herself from lunging forward in rage to scratch Consort Lin's delicate, charming face - an extreme test of Madam Wang's self-restraint.

In contrast, little Minglan, merely five or six years old, had no favored biological mother. Young and somewhat slow-witted, Madam Wang saw no need to bully her, though she wouldn't go out of her way to care for her either. She ate and slept together with Rulan, but observant people could notice the differences.

Every meal featured Rulan's favorite dishes, which Minglan had to eat without complaint about the selection; Rulan wore all new clothes while Minglan got hand-me-downs, though still ninety percent new; when fresh fruits or pastries appeared, Rulan naturally got first pick with leftovers for Minglan; as for gold, silver, or jade locks and chains among other jewelry, Minglan had never seen such things, though Madam Wang would dress her up with some neck and head ornaments when going out to maintain appearances.

The career path Minglan set for herself was: play dumb when necessary, report misdeeds when appropriate. Young lady Yingchun's experience taught us that enduring humiliation doesn't guarantee peace. A common daughter with little backing, if she doesn't stand up for herself, who else will care about her? As they say, heaven helps those who help themselves.The nanny by Minglan's side was a lazy and careless old woman, who would often give her the opposite of what she asked for. If Minglan made a few more requests, the nanny would pout and show displeasure. The young maids, following her example, were also idle and incompetent. They often whispered "secrets" within Minglan's earshot, such as: "One thing after another, it never ends. It's really exhausting," "Putting on airs as a mistress? Does she really think she's some precious young lady? She's just the daughter of a concubine," or "She'd better quiet down. Who has the patience to serve her?" and the like.

Minglan never uttered a word, pretending not to hear, and continued to give orders as usual. Because Sheng Hong had not yet fully trusted Madam Wang, he would occasionally visit Minglan. During these visits, Minglan would straightforwardly report: "When I was thirsty at night, the nanny wouldn't give me water... Did you give me the crabapple syrup last time? I haven't seen a drop of it... The snacks Madam gave me? The nanny said her grandson liked them, so she took them away... The nanny said she'd mend the tear in my clothes when she has time."

Sheng Hong's expression would immediately darken, and Madam Wang would feel deeply embarrassed. Recently, she had been busy preparing for Hualan's coming-of-age ceremony and had no time to attend to Minglan. In her anger, she punished all the maids and nannies who had embarrassed her. At first, the maids and nannies resisted and continued to make things difficult for Minglan, but Minglan paid no mind and kept reporting their behavior. After just two such instances, the servants became obedient, and Minglan's life improved.

In truth, lodging complaints is a skill—whether in the modern workplace or the ancient Sheng household. Doing it well can improve one's life, but doing it poorly can backfire. There are tricks to it. First, the target of the complaint must be accurate. Minglan knew from the start that Madam Wang did not care about her, as long as she was kept alive. Sheng Hong, however, still remembered Consort Wei's kindness and felt guilty about her early death, so Minglan directed her complaints to him. Second, the goal of the complaint must be clear. Minglan only reported the misdeeds of the maids and nannies, never mentioning Madam Wang. Instead, she often emphasized that Madam Wang had given her this or that, blaming the servants for their laziness and deceit. Madam Wang, listening in, found this somewhat acceptable. Finally, and most importantly, one must play dumb. Since waking up, Minglan had always appeared dull and slow-witted, speaking haltingly and reacting sluggishly, completely devoid of cunning. This made her seem safe.

As summer gradually set in, the sun grew scorching, and the heat burned against the skin. One day, Minglan was taking an afternoon nap in her inner room, while two young maids on duty chatted idly in the outer hall.

"Miss Hualan's coming-of-age ceremony was so grand. I heard Madam invited all the respectable ladies and madams in Dengzhou. The sedan chairs at the entrance were lined up in two rows. To keep the guests from feeling the heat, Madam bought dozens of cartloads of ice to cool the place, and ice bowls were served continuously. The master even specially returned to the estate to attend the ceremony," said a maid just over ten years old.

"Madam specially ordered a set of head ornaments from Cuibao Zhai. The nanny said it's the top jewelry shop in the capital—who knows how much silver was spent! And the ruqun Miss Hualan wore—the nanny said the embroidery on it was Liushang embroidery, so lifelike that the patterns seemed to move as she walked. It was a gift from Old Madam of Madam's maternal family. Miss Hualan is so fortunate. Little Mei, do you think our young lady will..." said a round-faced girl of seven or eight.

"Ah, how can our young lady compare? Miss Hualan is the legitimate daughter..."Minglan lay in the inner room listening to the maids' conversation. These two young girls had been assigned by Madam Wang to serve her personally—the older one was called Qiuyu, the younger one Xiaotao. The former was originally a third-class maid in Madam Wang's quarters, while the latter had just been promoted from the household servants' courtyard, said to be close in age to Liu Guniang for better compatibility—thinking of this, Minglan helplessly puffed out her cheeks.

To reorganize the Sheng household's inner quarters, Sheng Hong wished he could replace all the servants. Except for a few trusted aides of the main wife and Consort Lin, almost all second and third-class cleaning maids had been shuffled around, with new ones selected from the household servants' courtyard to fill the gaps. The clever-looking ones were all assigned to the elder young masters and misses first. By the time it was Minglan's turn, only this simple-minded Xiaotao remained.

But... perhaps it was for the best, Minglan thought as she turned her small body over on the rush mat.

Minglan didn't witness Sheng Hualan's coming-of-age ceremony, but she could imagine the scene. She didn't feel particularly envious or jealous, though in her drowsy state she would occasionally think that someone like Sheng Hualan—with her background—was the kind of rebirth a time-traveling woman should have.

After completing the coming-of-age ceremony, Madam Wang immediately threw herself into the search for a son-in-law with boundless enthusiasm, frequently consulting with Sheng Hong and Old Mrs. Sheng. Whenever this happened, Hualan would cover her face with a shy expression and retreat to her room. Minglan couldn't help but sigh—society had truly regressed. Back when Yao's mother showed Yao Yiyi photos of potential matches, Yao Yiyi had participated throughout the entire process and possessed both final veto and decision rights. But here, even someone as favored as Sheng Hualan had no say in her own marriage. This was Minglan's first real exposure to what "parental orders and matchmaker's words" truly meant.

After some deliberation, the Sheng couple narrowed down their choices to two final candidates: the fifth grandson of the Duke Lingguo's household and the second son of the Count Zhongqin's household. Before the couple could reach a decision, Qiu Jing, the current magistrate of Kaifeng, came to propose a marriage for his son.

"Originally, Hualan just had her coming-of-age ceremony, so we weren't in a hurry to choose a son-in-law. But with Magistrate Qiu's proposal, we must act quickly now—either accept the Qiu family's proposal or have a proper reason for declining," Madam Wang said, sitting beside a blackwood table carved with bat and cloud patterns, several large red gilt cards piled before her, the tassels on her dragon-and-phoenix gold hairpin constantly swaying.

"Brother Qiu was my fellow examination candidate, and our families have known each other for years. Normally, this marriage would be acceptable, but..." Sheng Hong paced around the room, holding a boxwood-framed folding fan.

"But what? Please speak quickly, Master," Madam Wang urged impatiently.

Sheng Hong sat opposite Madam Wang, picked up the white porcelain teacup with raised patterns, and took a small sip. "I've met the second young master of the Qiu family. His appearance and character are both worthy of Hualan. I never liked the idea of Hualan marrying into a ducal mansion—though wealthy, those households have deep, complicated family structures. Hualan is proud and ambitious; she might not be happy married into such a place. Our family and the Qiu family are well-matched in status, and we wouldn't have to worry about Hualan being mistreated. But during my recent trip to the capital, I noticed something amiss."Madam Wang nodded repeatedly upon hearing about the difficulties of Hualan marrying into an aristocratic family. By the end, she even picked up her round fan to gently fan Sheng Hong. After calming down, Sheng Hong leaned closer and whispered, "The current Empress has no sons, so succession by direct lineage is impossible. The next in line by age and status are the Third Prince and Fourth Prince, born to Consort De and Consort Shu respectively. The Emperor has delayed appointing a Crown Prince because the Third Prince is physically frail and over forty without heirs, while the Fourth Prince, who has children, was unfortunately born half a day later. For now, while the Emperor remains healthy, it's manageable, but should the mountain and mausoleum collapse someday, those close ministers around the princes might stir trouble."

Utterly unfamiliar with court affairs, Madam Wang asked blankly, "What does this have to do with our eldest daughter's marriage? Minister Qiu Jing is an outer court official!"

"But Qiu Jing's elder brother is the Third Prince's Classics Tutor!" Sheng Hong said irritably. He genuinely wished to confide in his wife, but their thoughts never aligned. Consort Lin was in sync with him, yet she was merely a concubine.

After pondering, Madam Wang grew alarmed: "Master, this is indeed improper. Regardless of whether the Emperor appoints the Third Prince, if the Third Prince cannot produce an heir, the throne will eventually pass to others! I've heard the Fourth Prince is no pushover."

Seeing his wife finally grasp the situation, Sheng Hong nodded and sighed, "I often advise Brother Qiu Jing that outer officials like us may discreetly befriend some capital officials and inner court ministers, but we must never get involved in the succession matter. So many aristocratic families in the capital are shrewd—how many actually meddle in this? When the Late Emperor ascended the throne smoothly enough, he still stripped several tactless nobles of their titles and removed countless first and second-rank officials, let alone people like us. I've counseled him several times, but Brother Qiu won't listen. Instead, he and his elder brother have grown closer to the Third Prince. I know the Third Prince is benevolent, kind, virtuous, and filial, but... but..."

"But he has no son!" Madam Wang promptly completed his sentence. "Without a son, the Third Prince's virtues are useless. Minister Qiu is too foolish—the struggle for succession is no child's play. I suspect the Fourth Prince will certainly ascend."

"Not necessarily." Sheng Hong suddenly reversed course. "Brother Qiu and the Third Prince's advisors aren't entirely foolish. They know the Third Prince would have been appointed Crown Prince long ago if not for the heir issue, so they devised a plan."

Madam Wang asked, "What plan?"

Sheng Hong lowered his voice further: "It's no secret. They urged several ministers to advocate emulating the story of Emperor Yingzong of Song."

Twisting her handkerchief, Madam Wang grumbled resentfully, "Master, don't use literary allusions with me. I can barely recognize a basketful of characters—how would I know about Emperor Yingzong of Song?"

Sheng Hong clicked his tongue discreetly and explained helplessly, "It means if the Third Prince ascends the throne but still has no son, he should adopt one from his brothers. The Emperor has more than these two princes—don't the younger princes all have sons? They're all the Emperor's grandsons anyway."

Madam Wang clapped her hands cheerfully: "That's a clever idea! Those younger princes not only have humble maternal families but also lack the Emperor's favor—they stand no chance for the throne. Adopting their sons is most appropriate. But... will it work? Will the Fourth Prince agree?""Who says otherwise? Those who have been advocating for the adoption have already become thorns in Fourth Prince's side. Better safe than sorry—if Fourth Prince ascends the throne someday, the Qiu family..." Sheng Hong left the sentence unfinished, but Madam Wang understood completely.

"This is a gamble. If they win, the Qiu family will rise to great heights; if they lose, they'll be utterly ruined. But why take the gamble? The Qiu family is already wealthy and honored." Sheng Hong sighed.

"—Husband, we cannot agree to the Qiu family's marriage proposal. They are willing to gamble, but we cannot stake Hua'er on it. If things go wrong, our entire family could be implicated." Madam Wang's thoughts suddenly became clear. She took out a crimson handkerchief embroidered with sunflowers from her waist and dabbed her forehead gently, then looked up and asked, "Husband, you've always been kind and built good relationships in official circles. Is there no one suitable for marriage now?"

Sheng Hong replied, "It's not that there isn't. Back in Quanzhou, I carefully considered all my colleagues and friends from the same imperial examination cohort, but none were suitable."

"None at all?" Madam Wang questioned doubtfully.

"How did you describe your criteria for a son-in-law?" Sheng Hong glanced at her and slowly imitated her tone: "He must come from a good family with substantial wealth, have a simple family structure, easy-to-serve in-laws, and most importantly—the young man himself must be capable. Either well-educated with official honors, or skilled in managing enterprises, or possessing military merits and titles. Most of my friends are scholars from the same cohort. Those with high official ranks are few; those with good reputations and high ranks often come from humble backgrounds, while those from wealthy families were already betrothed by their elders long ago. Brother Liu from the Court of Judicial Review would be suitable, but his legitimate son is still young. Perhaps we can consider him for Rulan in the future. Ah—"

Madam Wang looked somewhat embarrassed and smiled awkwardly. "Husband, don't worry. There are other families. I think the Duke Ling's residence is quite good. Although they inherit titles with reduced ranks—only three generations since the founding emperor granted the title—the Loyal and Diligent Count's residence maintains the original rank, but their current situation is poor and they've long fallen out of imperial favor. Better not consider them. The Duke Ling's residence is splendid—prestigious, prosperous, and flourishing."

"...That may not be true." Sheng Hong unfolded his folding fan leisurely and waved it slowly. "When I was young, I lived in the capital with the old master and Old Madam. I studied at the Duke Ling's residence school with Elder Brother Wei. I always looked down on that family—outwardly glamorous but inwardly corrupt. Their school was filthy too. Elder Brother Wei and I left after just half a year. When I went to the capital on business this time, I heard the Duke Ling's residence has deteriorated further. The household is overcrowded; both masters and servants live in extravagant comfort. Several young masters, about Changbai's age, actually have over twenty maids and servants attending them in their rooms. Such extreme luxury and wastefulness—spending far more than they earn—their resources have long been depleted. I merely hinted to Uncle Geng that Hua'er is coming of age, and they immediately approached me with clear intentions of marriage."

Madam Wang was startled. "You mean they're after our eldest daughter's dowry?"

"Hard to say. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time they've coveted a daughter-in-law's dowry." Sheng Hong said disdainfully.Madam Wang hesitated, "But after all, it's a Duke's mansion. Such a grand and prestigious household wouldn't normally consider our Hua'er if they weren't currently facing difficulties."

Sheng Hong sneered coldly, "If it were merely a shortage of silver, I wouldn't be so opposed. But their descendants are truly unworthy - in such a large family, there isn't a single person accomplished in scholarship, martial arts, or strategy. The old Duke and his wife themselves are decent enough, but their sons... hmph! The eldest branch lives in extravagance and debauchery, with father and son both notorious for their immoral conduct. The second branch - oh, the marriage proposal comes from this branch's second son - the head of second branch keeps taking concubines despite his age, having affairs with nearly all the maids and servants in his household. When I was in the capital, I heard he even took his daughter-in-law's personal maid to bed. Truly disgraceful to scholars' dignity, utterly despicable!"

Madam Wang was horrified, "No wonder a prestigious Duke's mansion would eagerly seek marriage with our family of a mere sixth-rank prefect. Probably no respectable family in the capital would marry their daughters to them?"

"You're right this time, madam." Sheng Hong closed his fan and shook his head.

"Then it shouldn't be the Loyal and Diligent Count's household either. The Yuan family has become quite desolate nowadays." Madam Wang said indignantly.

"Not at all." Sheng Hong finally grew animated, speaking eagerly, "This time I made a special visit to the Loyal Diligence Earl's residence and met the old earl's several sons. The eldest legitimate son was betrothed long ago to the daughter of Chancellor Zhang of the Imperial Academy. But the second son caught my eye—steady, well-mannered, and imposing. Though young, he's already secured a position in the Five-City Military Command. I specifically inquired about his character and capabilities from Commander Dou. You know that old Dou—always arrogant, yet he praised Yuanwenshao unreservedly. He even sighed, saying the young man's family background has held him back. Most official families dare not marry into his clan, yet they disdain matches with lesser households. A fine young man like him is nearly twenty and still unmarried. Perhaps because I showed interest in front of Old Dou, the Yuan family sent a matchmaker the very next day."

Madam Wang remained stern-faced. "You said it yourself—most official families dare not marry them. They currently lack both influence and wealth. Why should we rush to offer ourselves?"

"Nonsense! If they weren't in difficult circumstances, our Hua'er wouldn't have this chance either." Sheng Hong retorted using her own logic. "Their family fell on hard times when the Late Emperor reigned. They inadvertently got entangled in Prince Yi's rebellion case along with several other noble families and had their title revoked. After struggling for years, when the current Emperor ascended the throne and issued a general pardon, reinvestigation of old cases revealed that the Loyal Diligence Earl's household and several other noble families were actually quite wronged—merely implicated. Four or five families were reinstated, theirs among them. Still, they were reprimanded for careless conduct and improper behavior, stripped of silver and grain stipends for a full ten years, and left in obscurity."

"Since you've analyzed it so thoroughly, why insist on this match?" Madam Wang pursed her lips.

"What do you know? Most scions from noble families with hereditary titles grow up incompetent. Relying on ancestral privileges, they neglect studies, avoid martial training, and lack ambition—becoming useless within two or three generations. But the Yuan family, having suffered adversity, raised more capable and sensible descendants. Those who've experienced hardship understand the difficulty of establishing oneself. I think Yuanwenshao shows great promise."

Madam Wang remained displeased, turning away in silence. Sheng Hong approached and placed his hands on her shoulders, speaking softly: "Hua'er is our firstborn—how could I ever wrong her? Remember when I was just a minor probationary secretary assigned to that barren region? When Hua'er was born, we couldn't even find a proper wet nurse. I studied for examinations while serving my post, you managed the household while caring for me and Old Madam. Hua'er was so heartbreakingly obedient back then—never cried or caused trouble. When slightly older, she even helped you manage affairs. To speak bluntly, among all our children, Hua'er is dearest to me."

Recalling those difficult years, Madam Wang's eyes reddened. Sheng Hong's voice trembled slightly: "Back then I vowed never to let Hua'er suffer. I don't intend to use her for social climbing—I only hope she'll marry a responsible man, enjoy marital harmony, and live peacefully raising children."His words were earnest, full of paternal affection. Madam Wang could no longer hold back her tears and quickly lowered her head to wipe them away. Sheng Hong continued, "No matter how flawed the Yuan family may be, they still have a noble title to protect them. If his official career doesn't go smoothly, at least Hua'er will have a manor to rely on. If Yuanwenshao proves capable, there will still be wealth and honor awaiting Hua'er in the future."

Madam Wang had long been persuaded. Dabbing the corner of her eye with a handkerchief, she chided, "Pah! You make this down-and-out fellow sound like a blooming flower. You see things more clearly than I do, husband. Let me inquire further about Yuanwenshao's character. He's already twenty—who knows how many women he keeps in his chambers? If there are any unruly or domineering ones, I won't stand for it. My Hua'er isn't marrying into hardship."

"Very well, very well, we'll do as you say, my dear." Sheng Hong affectionately drew her closer. "If that young man is lustful and promiscuous, I'll be the first to object. We must carefully consider and find the very best husband for our Hua'er."

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[Author's Note]

In ancient times, official families were very particular about marriage alliances, often investigating three generations of the other family. Official families were also divided into those with substantial family foundations and those without, as well as first-generation officials and hereditary ones. Good parents would typically choose very carefully for their daughters and sons.

Usually, this applied to legitimate sons and daughters. Illegitimate sons might still fare reasonably well, but illegitimate daughters had no such opportunities.