Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 96 Decision
The punishments incurred by Mo Lan, Ru Lan, and Ming Lan due to their rash actions were finally brought to an end at noon on the second day, thanks to the joint efforts of Madam Wang and Lin Qinshuang.

However, if it weren't for Madam Wang's "efforts", Minglan and the others wouldn't have needed to go through all this!

According to Sheng Hong's original plan, he only intended to punish them until Chenshi (7-9 AM) the next day. Unfortunately, Madam Wang loved her daughters dearly and was eager to change the punishment, but she did not do it properly and instead made things worse, which angered Sheng Hong and made him give the three Lans an extra period of time.

Therefore, they were not released until noon the following day.

The three girls, who had been eagerly anticipating the time to leave at Chenshi (7-9 AM), were suddenly informed that their punishment period had been postponed by two hours. It wasn't until the end of Wushi (11 AM-1 PM) and the beginning of Weishi (1-3 PM) that they finally returned to their respective courtyards in a sorry state.

However, in view of this, Sheng Hong also made a point of discussing some matters with the old lady after the yamen was closed the next day.

Although the specifics are unknown, according to the information Cuiming gathered, Sheng Hong left Shou'an Hall with a smile, seemingly quite satisfied.

"Ah……"

"It must have been the old lady who made the move!"

That night, Sheng Changquan listened to the gossip his maids had gathered, shaking his head with a smile.

"Young Master, do you mean the old lady made some arrangements?"

Not only were the new maids Ziyuan and Jiegeng curious, but even the usually well-behaved Cuiming secretly gossiped and asked.

"That's natural!"

Sheng Changquan moved the brush away from his hand to prevent ink from dripping onto the paper. He raised his head, paused, glanced at the five curious little faces in front of him, and said with a smile, "Don't you all think about it? If it weren't for Grandma's idea, why would Father have just punished the sisters by making them kneel in the ancestral hall for one night?"

"Given Father's temperament, barring unforeseen circumstances, he would certainly take action on this matter. He might not necessarily make my sisters learn needlework or anything, but at the very least, he would make them copy more books like 'Admonitions for Women'."

Sheng Changquan looked at the candlelight in front of him with a strange expression: "But things are different now. It seems that Father has forgotten about this matter."

"In my opinion, this matter is definitely not going to end here."

"And there's more trouble to come!"

Cuiming and the other maids looked at each other, unsure of what to do, and were filled with doubt.

……

A few days later.

Sheng Hong unusually summoned people from both Wei Rui Xuan and Lin Xi Ge, and invited his children to have breakfast together. Of course, Sheng Changquan and Minglan, the siblings, were also among them.

At the table, apart from Madam Wang and her daughter and Lin Qinshuang and her daughter who were still secretly vying with each other, everyone else remained silent, trembling with fear.

No words are spoken when eating, and no words are spoken when sleeping.

Dinner is over.

"Since the whole family is here today, I have two things to announce!"

Sheng Hong turned to look at his wives, concubines, and children sitting at the table, lowered his eyes, and slowly said, "Firstly, given that Mo'er and the others have behaved extremely rudely, I have made a decision!"

"From this day forward, they shall no longer attend the private school!"

"I have already spoken to Zhuang Xuejiu about this matter."

A few casual words immediately and completely silenced everyone at the table, with Lin Qinshuang and her daughter reacting the most strongly.

Mo Lan, standing nearby, immediately turned her head anxiously to look at her mother, her eyes conveying a desperate plea: "No! I can't skip school!"

"If I don't have this opportunity, how can I see Brother Yuanruo again, and how can I marry into the Duke of Qi's mansion?"

Under the table, Mo Lan gripped Lin Qinshuang's wrist tightly and shook it incessantly!

"Shut up!"

Seeing this, Lin Qinshuang could only give her a look that said, "Don't act rashly!"

Compared to Mo Lan's impatience, Lin Qinshuang was calm and composed. She knew that no matter how unwilling she was, she could not speak at this moment!
Since Sheng Hong dared to say such things in front of his whole family, it means that this was a decision he made after careful consideration.

At this moment, you absolutely must not refute him!

"Aniang~"

Mo Lan also pleaded with her eyes, but all she got in return was Lin Qinshuang shaking her head.

"And the second thing is that the old lady has decided to find a governess to teach you manners!"

Ignoring the commotion at the table, Sheng Hong turned to his three daughters and continued speaking.

"Government nanny?"

When Madam Wang heard the first thing, she was somewhat displeased, but she didn't react much. She understood perfectly well that her Rulan was not suitable for the Duke of Qi's mansion.

After all, Qi Heng's mother, Princess Pingning, is a formidable figure. How could Rulan possibly fare well under her tutelage?

The second thing, however, stirred something within her: "My lord, could that governess be someone the old lady knew from the palace?"

Remembering the old lady's status as the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Yongyi, Madam Wang's eyes lit up, and she looked at Sheng Hong with great anticipation, hoping to hear what she wanted to hear.

After all, if Rulan could be taught by the palace maids, not only would it necessarily improve her temperament, but at the very least, when Madam Wang went out to arrange a marriage for her in the future, she would definitely be looked up to.

"Heh! You've got a good eye!"

Sheng Hong glanced at Wang Ruofu, but felt a little uneasy.

Just now, while he was speaking, he was also secretly observing the expressions of the people at the table.

When Wang Ruofu and her daughter heard that they would no longer be able to attend the family school, they were somewhat surprised, but they did not react much. In fact, Ru Lan even seemed to breathe a sigh of relief!

This made Sheng Hong feel uneasy, and he even felt a tickle in his palms, wishing he could hit his daughter with a ruler!
As for the others, such as Changbai, Changfeng, and Minglan and her brother, they did not react, or rather, their attitude was the most indifferent, clearly indicating that they did not reject such a thing.

What frustrated Sheng Hong the most was that his beloved Lin Qinshuang and her daughter were the ones who reacted most intensely and whose emotions fluctuated the most among them!

He knew it was because the mother and daughter had developed some inappropriate thoughts!
However, now is not the time to think about these things. Sheng Hong has already decided that when he has time, he will go and enlighten the mother and daughter, making them understand that sometimes daydreaming is not something to be done.

He shook his head inwardly, but Sheng Hong replied calmly, "You guessed right, the person Mother invited is indeed Granny Kong, who just came from the palace!"

"Granny Kong?"

Madam Wang was startled!
"Could it be Lady Kong, who served the late Empress Dowager?"

"Yes, it's her!"

Speaking of this Granny Kong, she was an extremely remarkable person!
According to Madam Wang's understanding, this Granny Kong was the personal female official of the late Empress Dowager, who was specifically responsible for assisting the late Empress Dowager in managing the harem and training the women who had just entered the palace. It is said that even the current Empress was trained by this Granny Kong when she first entered the palace!
(End of this chapter)