After sorting out the servants in Cheng Yuan, there’s still more work to be done! In Story of Minglan episode 45, Minglan makes a trip to the properties Gu Tingye has near the capital.
Because over time, those who manage it will become greedy. So Minglan needs to perform an inspection!
How will the property managers react to Minglan? Will they think she’s easy to swindle?
Story of Minglan Episode 45 Recap Highlights:
- Minglan handles the first property manager with ease but faces some difficulties with the second one
- Gu Tingye steps in to help out
- The Empress Dowager becomes concerned of Gu Tingye’s growing influence
Five more episodes until we hit the 50s. Man, time flies. Pretty soon we will finish this series!
Let’s jump into the Story of Minglan episode 45 recap!
Inspecting the Lands
Minglan gets served some tea by one of Manager Ba’s granddaughters.
When she comments how fantastic the tea looks, Manager Ba explains that his granddaughter had the fortune of serving some noble duke’s family.
So she was able to acquire some skill.
Then Cuiwei comes in to report that the arrangements have been made.
One of Minglan’s guards sets down a basket full of coins and holds a journal in his hands.
Minglan orders Cuiwei to start passing out the money and Manager Ba wonders what this is all about.
So Minglan explains.
It’s her first time here so she wants to rewards the people who have worked hard.
The people who receive the money are initially wary but then when they see it’s real, they line up to receive their portion.
Then Manager Ba seems to be frantic.
During the evening, Cuiwei reports to Minglan that some of the numbers do not add up. Because there are more families and land than are recorded.
Minglan guesses that the numbers are higher than recorded.
And Cuiwei explains that there were additional families that came out to collect money. So Cuiwei didn’t question them and just dispersed the money.
Then Minglan wonders if anyone spoke to them privately when they were out in the fields.
The guard, mentions how some people know how Manager Ba and some other managers obtained some extra fields. And how he registered them underneath his relative’s names.
Cuiwei believes those extra fields are likely hidden so the extra revenue goes into their own pockets.
Mingla continues to eat while contemplating something. But then a servant reports that Manager Ba and his aides have come to confess their errors.
Dealing with Property Managers
Manager Ba kneels in front of Minglan and confesses his wrongdoings.
Minglan lectures his origin and warns that he should have been sold with the others when the former Duke household was banished.
So Manager Ba pleads for mercy and suggests selling the farms.
Minglan can’t let him off because others may imitate him. So she settles for reporting his situation to her husband before issuing out punishment.
She still has another property to inspect.
So it’s off to the next property.
Guyan Farmstead has the backing of the imperial family. Minglan believes there more corruption there.
But she cannot use the same trick from the earlier farmstead.
However, she’s already started her plan and had some people disguise themselves as farmers to gather information.
Moments later, several individuals come up to Minglan’s carriage and greet her.
Minglan comments how Manager Wu is a relative of one of the head eunuchs in the palace and pays her respect.
But Manager Wu explains that he’s just a distant relative.
He introduces his aides and mentions how every accounting book and ledger has been prepared for her to review.
Minglan tells him that there’s no rush so she wants take a stroll through the farmstead.
They can walk and talk at the same time.
She finds out that Manager Wu has an uncle who is well acquainted with a high-ranking eunuch in the palace.
As they continue to stroll through the farmstead, they overhear servants questioning some other people (the ones that Minglan sent out).
So they take a break. Minglan explains that she made a bet with her husband about the land.
But Manager Wu probes her intentions.
Accounts are Unclean
Manager Wu explains the situation. Several rent accounts and borrowed money accounts are not repaid.
And some are accounts from noble families.
Minglan makes it sound like she’s worried about the accounts and needs Manager Wu’s help to sort it out.
So Manager Wu explains that everything will be fine as long as he’s here.
Wow, this jerk. That was a hidden threat.
Later, Minglan investigates the promissory notes.
Then checks the books.
Realizing that the books are a mess.
Gu Tingye walks in and wonders who pissed off his wife.
She tells him that she’s been threatened so Gu Tingye offers to beat up that scoundrel.
But she thinks that he’s too busy with other matters. Until Gu Tingye stresses that she can ask him for help.
Minglan narrates how Manager Wu captured her men and threaten her in public.
Then dropped off some ledgers for her to investigate.
And it turns out they are all rotten accounts. She fumes and rages while Gu Tingye just watches with amusement.
Minglan wonders why he’s laughing when she’s so angry. And he tells her that she’s beautiful this way.
This is the true Sheng Minglan. But he tells her to calm down because she shouldn’t harm her health with these issues.
He’ll meet with Manager Wu tomorrow and take care of these.
But Minglan comments that she’s suppose to take care of internal affairs. Otherwise he would have married her for nothing.
Gu Tingye argues that this should be considered matters related to the country.
Minglan refuses to believe this until Gu Tingye goes on a long explanation.
Convincing her to leave this to him.
Gu Tingye Assists
So Minglan then tells him it’s time for him to take a bath and she will personally assist him.
When Gu Tingye prepares the water, she inspects his clothes.
And checks him for injuries.
Gu Tingye realizes his wife is worried about him. And tells her a story about a husband who had an affair.
The wife poisoned her husband until he slowly died and Minglan thinks the story is too scary.
But Gu Tingye wants her to know that he places his life in her hands.
On the next day, Manager Wu and his aides greet Gu Tingye.
Gu Tingye tells Manager Wu that he’s here to assist his wife. And wants to reward the hard working farmers.
Manager Wu reports that there are too many people here to disperse the funds efficiently.
So he asks that the money be given to the manager and aides.
But Shitou brings the farmers over.
Gu Tingye tells them that they are here for two reasons: rewards and surveys about their life.
They hesitate to speak until Gu Tingye reassures them he can make the decisions.
It turns out the rent is higher than normal. And raised for no good reason. Plus, some managers are lustful so they take and rape women at their leisure.
Gu Tingye glares at Manager Wu for mishandling this farmstead.
But Manager Wu reminds him that there’s still a debt. If the debt isn’t handled correctly, it will affect the imperial family’s reputation.
Gu Tingye reasons that a corrupt eunuch doesn’t care about reputation.
Then burns the debt.
The farmers thanks Gu Tingye for his kindness.
Brewing Troubles
When Minglan visits her grandmother, she reports how she handled the farmsteads.
And her grandmother believes they were handled well.
Then tells Minglan there’s trouble brewing in the house. Due to Changfeng’s marriage.
Sheng Hong wants to pick a proper family while Wang Ruofu wants to pick randomly.
And then Changfeng complains that the candidates aren’t pretty enough.
Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager hears how Gu Tingye handled the farmstead.
She foresees Gu Tingye being an issue in the future.
Then she hears ruckus nearby and comments how the emperor has been handling issues lately.
She told him to follow the previous emperor’s teachings but he refused to listen.
Which is now causing people around him to cause a ruckus.
So it’s Empress Dowager vs. Current emperor, a storm is brewing
Gu Tingye and Minglan need to head into the palace and Minglan worries that she will mess up.
But General Shen’s sister will accompany her as well.
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Comments
In Story of Minglan episode 45, Minglan is still cleaning house. Because she believes Gu Tingye married her for her skills.
She still doesn’t trust him yet. But she’s slowly starting to realize she can rely on Gu Tingye.
I thought it was cute how she thought he was injured during the bath scene.
She rushed to check his injuries.
And of course, Gu Tingye takes this opportunity to tease her.
At the end of the episode, Minglan doesn’t believe Gu Tingye should treat her this well. Because she will have to repay him back.
However, General Shen’s sister points out that she doesn’t have to pay him back.
Which seems to point Minglan in the right direction.
Well at least she knows now (or has some hint) that Gu Tingye will have her back.
Thoughts on Story of Minglan episode 45? Leave a comment below!
