The Story of Ming Lan Episode 32

Mo'er's Secret Romance Exposed

Spoilers Ahead

1)Our episode opens up with Mo'er and Liang Chu (the Count's Sixth Son) embracing one another in their love nest. She casually mentions the issue of marriage, and he tells her that he can't approach his mother right now. This triggers an argument as she insists that if the news gets out, she is ruined, and he will be scolded. She has given him everything, and if he won't marry her she should die (it's clearly an act).

2)The door bursts open and her father comes in and all her father can do is scream (I think my father would do the same). Liang Chu is shocked and can only say 'Sheng' and her father tells her she has ruined the family--he runs out after issuing orders for her to be bound. Later, Concubine Lin comes to the main hall and pleads on the behalf of her daughter who just got 'caught up in the moment' (?? in this time a well bred girl does not get 'caught up in the moment' and have sex. the jiju tournament with Yuan Ruo is a better example of 'caught up in the moment' and look at what that did)

3)After her tricks don't work (she fake faints) Concubine Lin continues to make excuses. Her father wants to kill Mo'er and cannot even look at Concubine Lin. Big Madame simply stares ahead and is silent. The arrival of her son is the last line these two have as Master Sheng says he will not kill them because his son still needs to study (this matter is still a secret at this point) but the real thing saving these two is the fact that no one outside the family knows.

4)Big Madame is celebrating her victory when her eldest daugter Hu'er arrives in a panic because the entire city is gossiping about the Fourth Miss Sheng slipping in the temple and being caught by Liang Chu and that it is a huge scandal. Big Madame's joy quickly changes to horror--even though it isn't the truth, this is more than enough to ruin their family.

5)Elsewhere, Old Madame takes medicine and listens to her son who apologizes. She casually says she is fine, she just got so sick she coughed up blood. She points out the facts: Hu'er is in a panic, Rulan wants to kill herself one minute, the next she wants to commit murder. How can a son who is so careful get so schemed by his wife. He always forigves her, defends her, accepts her excuses of being 'muddled' but how can he not do something about her when these mistakes have piled up over the years. Mo'er she says should have been a good girl but she was raised Concubine Lin and so she values gain and greed and will do anything for it. How could he have forgotten that it was only last year he got locked up in the palace--what if this matter gets out?

6)Concubine Lin has a BLOW OUT confrontation with Sheng, because she lets slip the fact that she knows about the city gossiping about Mo'er slipping and being caught--something she should not know. Master Sheng is in tears and horrified at how she can turn her daughter, for all intents and purposes, into a slut (this is the word usually used in dramas) for the sake of a title and riches--never mind that she will have a difficult life being concubine born--although Concubine Lin refutes this and says that though Hu'er has problems it's because she has 'no measures'. This leads to her essentially telling him that it was okay for her, why not her daughter (i.e. you and I had a similar story) and then the light bulb goes off in his head and he confronts her--did you manipulate me? do you not love me? was I a plot?--she doesn't know what to say, and says she will be whatever he wants her to be, so he slaps her--and she just laughs and tells him that he has no choice but to make sure Mo'er is married because if not the whole family will go down.

7)Alone in her room with Hu'er, Big Madame is so upset but also sad. She learns from Hu'er--after seeing she is upset--that her mother in law took her son away, hired poor servants to watch him, and the kid was crawling and knocked a smoke pan over. He wasn't burned, but her daughter, who was visiting, saw this and intervened, and in doing so her hands are now covered in blistered :/

8)For the sake of her children, Big Madame bows her head to visit Madame Wu. It is extremely humiliating because Madame Wu was never interested in Mo'er, and this Mo'er has basically broken every rule. Madame Wu poses a compromise: give me Ming Lan as the legitimate wife and Mo'er can be the concubine (NIGHTMARE)

9)Old Madame is ENRAGED. She screams at Big Madame and and Master Sheng, insisting this is retribution. She carefully raised Ming Lan and now she has to be wasted because of Mo'er? The sixth son is worse than that loafer Gu she states, but unfortunately there is nothing that can be done. Ming Lan overhears this and says she doesn't need to marry--which is ignored by everyone, because even if she doesn't marry, what about Rulan and the rest of the family?

10)Mo'er has a confrontation with Hu'er who comes to deliver food--she learns that Madame Wu rejected Big Madame and that they are considering tossing her out into the streets--but Mo'er insists that Old Madame will go. This triggers Hu'er, asking her if she has no shame, and Mo'er defends herself, explaining that this is to ensure she has a stable future, but someone who has everything handed to her wouldn't understand

11)Ultimately Old Madame goes, begs Madame Wu, and they agree to marriage. Mo'er is overjoyed. And runs to see her mother. The episode ends with her out loud stating that Rulan can now eat her words, Mo'er believes tht everyone must admire her since she will be the legitimate wife and does not listen to her sister-in-laws words that she is basically entering a wolve's den--so she stops and just wishes her well.

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