The Story of Ming Lan (知否知否应是绿肥红瘦)

The Story of Ming Lan

Episode 69

What's wrong?

Didn't I just got home a few days ago?

A fire broke out in our house.

Then?

I killed Madam Kang.

Madam Kang? That one from the Wang Family?

The daughter of the late Imperial Tutor Wang You,

my wife's maternal aunt, Wang Ruoyu.

Are you crazy?

If it was you,

when someone wants to kill your wife and son, can you endure to just give her some scoldings?

- Is she crazy? - Exactly.

If I didn't do anything that time, I fear that my wife and son would have bled right there and then.

I can only draw my sword and kill her.

Then how come I didn't get any news these past days?

Right.

I initially thought that biased Old Madam Wang

would be suing me in the morning court the next day.

Never thought that they haven't made any move until now.

During the morning court these past days, that Wang official didn't say a word at all.

The Court of Judiciary and the Kaifeng Precinct didn't send me any messages too.

I fear that they are waiting

for all fingers to form a fist,

and then hit it with me in one go.

Who cares?

Anyway, that Madam Kang had so many lives lost in her hands.

Can she really sue me?

Zhonghuai o Zhonghuai...

It's not that I want to lecture you.

You are so absurd.

Before, he almost burned down the courtyard of my Tingwei.

You all won't meddle.

Now that this Tingbing killed someone in the area he was exiled to,

you both finally remembered me.

Sister-in-law, it's not that we don't want to meddle.

Look, the Fifth House has already sided with the adjacent courtyard.

Just our family won't be able to deal with them, isn't that right?

Sister-in-law, you mustn't misunderstand us.

Actually, we so want that adjacent courtyard to fall as soon as possible,

so we can fetch our Tingbing back. Isn't it?

You won't be able to have him back anymore.

Say, he has been exiled 3,000 miles from here.

He still had to be envious and compete with others, killing a man just for a prostitute.

Not only me,

but even th gods won't be able to save him.

Sister-in-law, what then can we do?!

What can I do to your family?

And what can I make your family do?

Talk.

Sister-in-law, I've seen this tea

when I entered the palace to thank the graces of Empress Dowager.

It seems that since you've sided with Empress Dowager,

was able to obtain some tea leaves from her,

you don't want to acknowledge relatives like us anymore.

How is this me not acknowledging your family?

I fear that it was your family who doesn't recognize me anymore.

How could we?

As they say, even a strong man would require help from others.

Sister-in-law, if you have any problems,

our family would surely do our best to help you.

Thinking about how before, all of the people in this house,

who hadn't harm Gu Tingye?

Who didn't frame him with those dirty things in their hands?

Does that Fifth House think that

if they defend him this time,

he will already treat them as trustworthy relatives?

Idiot!

Right.

You two should also think about

what harm have you inflicted on him.

Those past debts have already been made.

What's the use of mentioning them now?

What if that Gu Tingye

dies?

Dies?

You're saying...

- Empress Dowager? - Empress Dowager.

Only Empress Dowager.

While Empress Dowager is still around, we must topple this demonic star.

He has the emperor in front, Prince Huan at the back.

With the rapidity of his promotions and the hotness of his temper,

how can we all still have any path to survive?

As long as he doesn't die,

Tingbing will forever stay in his place of exile.

If he dies,

Empress Dowager might

even have a conferred title for Tingbing.

Slow down.

Place it in an orderly manner.

Place it in an orderly manner.

Hence, may Your Majesty quickly make a decision regarding the border matters.

Either we open a trading market to improve the economy,

so we can go around the lost passes in and out,

and have 10 years of peace.

Or, organize our army,

increase their winter clothes to protect the soldiers in the borders from the chill,

and prepare for a huge battle ahead.

The widow of Imperial Tutor Wang You is drumming the Dengwen Drums outside the palace hall.

She says that she has grievances she wants to submit to Your Majesty.

Subject Wang, what grievances are there that would toil your old mother

to drum the Dengwen Drums during our morning court?

I...

Before, I practiced loyalty in assisting meritorious subjects in planning and managing affairs.

I've gathered virtuous hall of great scholars along with the councilors of the Imperial Secretariat.

I am the eldest direct son of the honored Imperial Tutor Wang You,

with posthumous name Wenjian.

Together with Qianshu Wang Shiping of the Bureau of Military Affairs,

I am suing Gu Tingye for murdering my little sister,

the wife of Head Secretary Kang Haifeng,

the conferred lady Wang Ruoyu!

- Allow her to come in. - Come in!

Marquis killed my daughter with one stab in her chest.

Her corpse is currently still in front of her funeral altar and not yet buried.

Any coroner can go and examine her.

May I ask Your Majesty to investigate this wisely,

and make a just decision.

Informing Your Majesty, I want to say a few words to argue this matter.

I can't just listen to one side.

Do you still have any evidence?

I have material evidences and witnesses on how Marquis Gu

set up the fire in the marquis manor. They are all noted down in here.

May Your Majesty personally read it.

It means...you have witnesses then?

Yes. They are just waiting to be called by Your Majesty.

Royal Father, this matter has huge implications.

Why not listen to Marquis Gu's defense first?

Prince Huan is right. Marquis Gu, do you have anything you want to say?

May Marquis Gu allow my family's witnesses to enter the court.

Marquis Gu, do you dare to?

You think I'll be afraid of you?

Your Majesty, in examining a case, material evidence, witness, and a corpse must all be present.

Why not Your Majesty first listen to the evidences before listening to the defense?

When your Censorate report a memorial, there should be prepared written scrolls or paperworks.

Does this sudden case also belong to the matters under the jurisdiction of your Censorate?

Your Majesty, the case should be handled to the Kaifeng Precinct and the Court of Judiciary.

But since Old Madam Wang entered the court after hitting the Dengwen Drums,

the Censorate and Remonstrance Bureau are both commissioned by the government to proofread and rectify any mistakes. I have to ask.

Okay then. Let them in.

Calling!

- What are you laughing about? - The actors are coming.

You still have the nerve to laugh? Where are your witnesses?

Your Majesty.

That day, I just entered the city gates and already saw my house on fire.

I rode my horses as fast as I can to rush back to my house and just happen to saw my wife delivering our child.

That Wang Ruoyu was holding a bladed a weapon

and wanted to kill my wife while she was still weak from laboring.

Seeing how blood will soon be spilled, I have no choice but to draw my sword to defend her.

Then it means, you're admitting that you killed her.

Old Madam Wang, you didn't discipline your daughter. Of course, the heaven will discipline her in your behalf.

And who knows if the fire in my house was started by someone.

Don't you know how the fire started?

You killed the daughter of the House of Wang and tried to destroy evidences, so you started a fire in the marquis manor!

Grand Madam, do you know how the fire in my manor started?

You went to the courtyard of Tingwei to start the fire.

Someone saw Marquis Gu sending his subordinate Shitou

to start a fire in my son's courtyard.

The Wang daughter went there to put out the fire.

Put out the fire? Our government has clear rules that a soldier would be stationed in the Fire Observing Deck everyday to monitor any fire.

Once there's a fire, he must immediately report it

so the local officials would gather a team to put out the fire. There's no need for citizens to do so.

This Wang woman is of prestigious aristocratic status.

She's unable to carry anything on her shoulders or by her hands, how then will she put out the fire?

Out of kindness, in consideration that she was a relatives, she tried to save your wife.

You beast...

Don't we still know who the beast is here?

You...

You killed my mother in your house and then burned your manor just to destroy her corpse.

By doing that, aren't you afraid of getting struck by lightning?

Madam Qin is the direct mother of Marquis Gu. If her testimony isn't real,

why would she accuse her own family?

I personally saw you ordered your men to start the fire.

I was so shocked that my soul almost left my body.

You vile spawn still want to deny it?

If you all claim that Wang woman was thinking for my sake, since she was a guest in my manor,

where's the visitation card? Who entertained her?

Who served her tea and food?

Who opened the doors of my Cheng Garden for her,

and guided her through the middle receiving hall, and brought her into Jiaxi House?

My wife's life was in danger. The fire in my manor was burning up into the sky.

How could that weak woman have entered my inner courtyard?!

You're saying that my daughter entered your manor to kill?

She's the maternal aunt of that Sheng Madam.

Let me ask you then, what grudges does she have to attempt to kill that Sheng Minglan?!

What grudges? She just wants to kill her.

Why would my daughter go to your marquis manor to kill your wife?

Say it. Say it!

When an evil woman kills people, does she still needs reasons?

Nonsense! My mother and your mother-in-law are blood-related sisters.

You are an important government official. What reasons do my mother have

to kill her own niece?!

After killing so many people, does she still needs a reason to kill another one?

What nonsense are you saying?

Your Majesty, I—

- Your Majesty— - Your Majesty!

The murder reasons of an evil woman like that

can't be guessed by ordinary people like us. I indeed killed her.

But if I didn't raise my sword that day,

my wife would have died then. May Your Majesty give me justice!