The Story of Ming Lan (知否知否应是绿肥红瘦)

The Story of Ming Lan

Episode 51

Marquis Gu is forcing me to go while I leave my son to him!

It's maternal instinct...

Get lost! You get lost!

Marquis Gu is forcing me to go while I leave my son to him!

What about my maternal instinct?!

He stole my daughter!

Now, he's even coveting for my son!

My god!

We are right under the feet of the emperor! This is the capital city of Bian!

A newly favored official is so devoid of conscience!

Devoid of conscience... You get lost!

With such a good script, you should be a storyteller in the tiled marketplace!

That's right! Be a storyteller!

In the past, the marquis drove my older brother away,

and then forcefully kept me in the marquis manor.

He waited for me to deliver him children,

but refused to let me enter his family!

It's fine if he wants to kick me out, I'm accepting my fate.

But, he stole my children away. Those are my life!

Rong'er! Rong'er!

- Stop saying it! Leave! Leave! - Get lost!

- He's a bully He's a bully! - Let her finish! Lte her finish!

- All of you, disperse! - This is too tragic.

Let me tell you, it's even a woman of the marquis.

He could have easy settled this with spending a few money.

He's using his power to bully other intolerably. He's so devoid of conscience!

- Rong'er! - Stop saying it! Leave!

While inside that marquis manor, don't know

how that marquis wife is tormenting you right now!

Salt, tea, liquor, and iron were once the highest sources of income of our government.

But now, the salt taxation is so vague.

The taxes collected are actually under reported and hard to clearly investigate.

If the government still doesn't put any heart to guard against it,

I fear that our income from it will greatly decrease and a huge problem will arise.

Got it.

I've already accepted your memorial.

Once I've finished verifying and inquiring about it, I'll make a decision.

Í want to file a complaint against Deputy Commander of the Dianqian,

Marquis of Ningyuan Gu Tingye

for having unclean private morals which is bringing shame to being a government official,

and tainting the reputation of the new government.

Those messed up internal matters of your own family

has now been known by everyone in the streets of Bianjing!

It's even more interesting than the stories beign told in tiled markets!

Do still want any dignity of a government official?

Do you still even care about my dignity?

Your Majesty, others don't know about my matter, but don't you?

The reason for our first meeting

was exactly because I was swindled by that evil woman.

She took away my son.

Didn't you even help me to search for them for a while?

Since I married my wife from the Sheng Family,

I stopped my womanizing ways.

Who knew that after seeing her beauty,

your past affection reignited and got swindled again?!

This is not anymore my pre-emperor territory.

There are so many things I have to handle.

You... And you!

You two are not even sharing my burden.

Always acting like some idle young men of the capital.

Always coming up with a pile of problem to present before me! So preposterous!

Royal Father, it's not Zhong Huai's fault.

That woman has even stabbed him.

But considering that they had children,

he didn't had her tied up and sent to Kaifeng Precinct Office.

Indeed.

With such a thing happening, why didn't you drag her to the local court?!

Your Majesty, she mustn't be dragged to the local court.

If I send her there, she then would be interrogated and tried.

This will just escalate the problem.

Not only is this an old debt that's so hard to clearly sort out,

since it's a matter about the harem,

Empress Dowager who is the head of the inner palace would surely send people to hear the trial.

If that happens, then it will just bring trouble to Your Majesty.

You say it as if you've made a huge contribution for my sake.

Thank you Your Majesty for appreciating it.

Isn't it just the same now?!

This matter got brought up in the imperial morning court and caused such huge embarrassment!

This messed up problem

is clearly a malicious intent to frame people by that evil woman.

Those scholarly officials initially won't listen to any explanations.

When I went to the marquis manor to investigate this matter,

Zhonghuai just exposed his chest to everyone,

and they stopped meddling.

Right now, all are just the claims of Lord Xiao Qi.

In my opinion, just drive that woman out of the capital, and then let Zhonghuai

be to be spared by that relative of his. This matter

will then just naturally pass.

I've already sent men to expel that evil woman out of the capital.

As for the matters that will arise after, don't be bothered by it anymore.

Now that Empress Dowager is plotting.

We mustn't let her grab hold of any of our flaws.

How could I not meddle?

I let that evil woman go so she could go look for Chang'er.

I then can follow the vine to the fruit and find my son.

Have you ever thought that this evil woman

is full of lies and sinister schemes. She just spouts them out when she opens her mouth.

Such malicious heart.

Always scheming against people with every step. And she's even ruthless and heartless.

Even if you find Chang'er, with him being with her for 3 to 5 years,

can you really be at ease to raise him in your house?

Even if his birth mother is an evil woman,

I'm the one who took her in as my woman and impregnated her to bore me children.

If there's someone at fault, it's me and not the child.

While we are alive,

we must admit our mistakes, try to mend our ways,

and make up for them.

Chang'er is still my flesh and blood.

He surely won't totally be like that evil woman.

If she has really disciplined him in a bad manner,

I also won't tolerate his acts in the future.

But as long as there is a glimmer of home,

I must save my son.

Don't forget to go to the Qi Manor and say some soft words.

Your two families are relatives after all.

No need to escalate it to such an ugly state.

The wordings of the complaint of Young Lord Qi were actually very intense.

But His Majesty didn't say anything at all.

I think that woman also got expelled out of the capital.

Grand Madam,

I fear that this move is now useless.

Us and those people from Yangzhou has just worked in vain.

You're old.

Your information isn't that accurate anymore.

Grand Madam, you knew something?

His Majesty indeed didn't say anything while in the morning court.

But after the court meeting, he had him stay

and scolded him inside his private chamber.

Really?

What's precious isn't this news,

but the person who spread the news.

Guess who it is.

How could I know such things?

It must be a trusted aide of yours.

You're the only trusted aide I have now.

Don't be jealous of such things.

The person who spread the news is Third.

Third?

Third went for drinks and bumped into Palace Steward Eunuch Zhu.

A news from Palace Steward Eunuch Zhu...

After hearing it, Third immediately went to the adjacent manor

and had some drinks with his Second Brother.

Palace Steward Eunuch Zhu who works by the side of Empress Dowager?

Do you now know why this information is valuable?

Her Highness especially spread the news out.

If you're able to get the help of Empress Dowager,

this matter will then succeed with less efforts.

Gu Tingye is His Majesty's favored official.

The more he's favored, the more he becomes an eyesore for the empress dowager.

Just like this tea.

The more you want its foam to merge with the surface of the cup,

the more you must have the patience to mix it.

You mustn't rush, nor be too slow.

Not only must the tea bread be good,

this tea brush must also help.

Then Young Lord Qi would keep bringing trouble to Second Young Master from now on.

Zhonghuai's spear is forging ahead with the vigor and vitality of the tiger.

It's because your spear is good.

Duke, I've already drunk a round of tea, and put off two lanterns.

It's daybreak soon.

Young Lord is still not done with his official documents?

You really love to joke around.

It's now the third part of the hai hour (~11 pm) and people are just settling down.

Recently, he's getting more appreciation from the palace,

hence, is being given a higher amount of documents to read.

Appreciation by the emperor?

Any official work given by the imperial family mustn't be neglected.

But His Majesty's appreciation for Yuanruo's skills isn't just a one-day affair.

He might get more documents to read by tomorrow.

This...

How about I'll go help out Yuanruo?

Don't! Don't!

There are a lot of official documents in the study. I fear that it's not convenient for you to go in.

Indeed.

Seeing how it's already late, if I still don't go home, my family might worry.

How about I'll just come back tomorrow?

Sure! I'll go walk you out then. Okay, Duke, no need to walk me out.

Please.

Hey, Yuanruo!

Hurry! Hurry! Stop him!

This... is really a bad karma from the past generation!

Young Lord is indeed reading official documents here.

I still remember you looked when you were a child.

In a blink of an eye,

you're already attending the morning court as a scholarly official.

Didn't we study together before

so as to join the government?

That's right. Too bad, we're now standing as rivals, having contradictory discourse.

I just want to expose any misdeeds in the government.

Of course, I must overlook some private relationship because of it.

Private relationship?

Which relationship are you talking about?

Which does Marquis Gu think am I referring to?

You're now calling me Marquis Gu?

You came here for official matters and not a private one.

Calling you Second Uncle makes me sound like trying to climb a higher social branch.

Your house is a ducal house while mine is a marquis house.

How is calling me Second Uncle climbing up a branch?