The Story of Ming Lan Episode 31

You know, Rulan was not bad at all, she was…

You know, Rulan was not bad at all, she was not deceitful like molan... The problem was just with her mouth just like her mother. I want her to be good wife if she wants to marry that scholar. OH NOOOO qi heng! I want him to be happy too. Hopefully he will stay as a good person and contribute a lot of good things. You know, observing from the way madam Yu spoke of her son's mistress, if molan really become his main wife, wouldn't she experience the way Big Madam experienced? Concubine wld be more favor than the main wife. I wld love to see that. I had to watch molan being flirty with that young master, nauseating. Ouuu the drama about to unfolddddd

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Mo'er Tastes Sweetness (Takes a Lover)

Spoilers Ahead

1)Our episode begins with a conversation between Ming Lan and her servants. They comment on the gifts that Madame Wu continues to send and Ming Lan cryptically replies: Soon she won't be coming here anymore. Although she likes Madame Wu, her son is not someone she wishes to marry as she knows the scandal his family is trying to clean up

.2)Elsewhere, Rulan learns from her personal maid that her father is planning to bring by poor scholars for Mo'er to consider marriage with. Rulan sees this as a slight (she doesn't see the long term pros of this) and suddenly a breeze causes her handkerchief to go flying. She chases it down and a gentleman she does not recognize picks it up but she can't approach a stranger, so he leaves it on a tree for her. They share a 'moment'--no words are spoken (I think he is Mo'er's marriage candidate).

3)That evening, Concubine Lin eats with Master Sheng and again brings up the subject of Mo'er's marriage. First she focuses on Ming Lan, who appears to be poised to marry a Count's son, and then shifts to her daughter and a fear that the scholar candidate will be unable to economically provide for her daughter. This bothers Master Sheng who again explains that the man he selected has an excellent future (I think Master Sheng is personally cultivating him, and believes he will succeed the way he himself has). Concubine Lin's nudging causes Master Sheng to lose patience and leave.

4)On her way to pray at Yuqing Monastery Ming Lan accidentally spies Yuan Ruo with his wife, and it appears that they are wishing for a child. Ming Lan watches them until they disappear, and she is clearly sad, but as is her way, quickly hides it once her servants notice. The scene shifts to Yuan Ruo and his wife,, and it is evident (we know he is more passionate and laid back around Ming Lan, but here he is very restrained and polite) that his wife adores him.

5)The next evening, Ming Lan visits with her grandmother and explains that she has been frequenting Yuqing monastery to pray for her mother. The subject changes as her grandmother brings up brother He, the doctor, and begins to list all the good things about him. Elsewhere, Concubine Lin receives a report from her personal servant that Ming Lan's visits to the monastery have a pattern: they coincide with the visits of Madame Wu and her son. Concubine Lin views this as brown nosing to the mother in law, and Mo'er begins to cry--is she destined to be laughed at by everyone?

6)Concubine Lin tells her daughter that she seduced Master Sheng and got pregnant in order to be taken in as a concubine. It was a desperate move but it paid well. Listening this, Mo'er tells her mother that she is willing to endure any shame to get what she wants--and her mother appears to be okay with this. After this, Mo'er is seen wearing the clothes of a maid and sneaking over to the temple.

7)Madame Wu leaves the temple and her son complains about her visiting constantly just to try to run into Ming Lan. She lectures her son and explains no one will marry him with this kind of situation--if he wants to make the girl he got pregnant a concubine (she is a mistress it seems) he must first marry an official wife. Annoyed, she leaves him alone

.8)The scene shifts to Mo'er, and they are stopped by a woman (in her 30s?) who dismisses their excuse that they are here to view flowers because there aren't any. She tells them to not go ahead because there is a young man who is viewing flowers and their relationship might be tainted. Mo'er 'falls' and he walks over to her, and he checks on her. He takes her hands, and seems to be in a daze that Mo'er is there ('am I dreaming?' he says). Mo'er tells him some pretty words, that she knew he wanted to see her so she came. This makes him very happy (it seems to be genuine, but then, he could be only seeking one thing,,,,,)

9)In the next scene, Mo'er walks with her sister and she tells her that nothing is ever final (this is pretty uncool, to go after your little sister's marriage candidate not out of love, which I could understand, but out of pride and to a lesser extent fear that you won't be living a lavish lifestyle). The three sisters share tea and Ming Lan points out the fact that Mo'er always goes after what she wants and she also raises the point that Mo'er looks similar to one of the servants in Lin pavilion, and basically that it could be problematic if they are not well taught because of this (I think she is implying that others might mistake her for her) which makes Mo'er uncomfortable (I would be sweating bullets)

10)Ming Lan later has a conversation with Rulan who wants to know why she is hiding beautiful water lilies in her room. Ming Lan then says that a priest told her that she would face a disaster this year so she did this to help counter that prediction. Rulan, in her simple way, turn the subject to how she feels bad for her that people are gossiping out of envy. Because she defended her, Ming Lan gifts her, and Rulan is honest and says she wasn't really defending her its just that she has never seen Mo'er this jealous.

11)Rulan tells her mother that Ming Lan is not as clever as her, and this annoys her mother who tells her that Ming Lan is very quick witted. She relays the info about the priest, and Big Madame assumes that the daoist priest must be exceptional for Ming Lan to praise him so she decide to visit. They then spy servants from Lin pavilion, and out of concern, Big Madame's personal servant goes to see why they are visiting. She is shocked to discover that it i Mo'er in disguise, and that she goes into a room and then the Sixth Son of the Wu family enters (HUGE SCANDAL).

12)She immediately returns to Big Madame and takes her home to relay the news in private. Big Madame is shocked. Her personal servant urges her to be calm and use this as an opportunity to finally get rid of Concubine Lin. She and her servant decide to report this to the master. Master Sheng is shocked and does not believe it. There was even evidence of an affair (they went into the secret room after they left and found a bed). Since he doesn't believe her she tells him to go and see for himelf, and this horrifies him more since he is a father, she is his daughter--but Big Madame is adamant he must investigate this because all of his children will be impacted if it is discovered.

13)The reality now in front of him is so unbearable that Master Sheng breaks down into tears (this is literally a parent's worse nightmare, worse than having a daughter die is a daughter who has premarital sex).

14)The next day, Mo'er leaves as usual, disguised as her servant Yuanzai. Big Madame informs the minister of this and tells him to bring servants who have signed a death contract and surround the courtyard tightly (this is a legitimate wife in action). The Sheng family is about to change in a big way.

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