"Fifth Sister, what happened to Second Sister? First Brother and I were not there. How did that happen?" Ning Qingshan took Ning Xueyan by the hand, and lowered her voice as if she was trying to keep the peace.
"Does Third Sister want to know about this?" Ning Xueyan smiled faintly, with an indifferent look. She removed her hand from Ning Qingshan's hand, and cast her eyes on Ning Huaiyuan and Ning Qingshan, calmly.
This was the price that Ning Huaiyuan paid for helping Ning Qingshan. It seemed that Ning Huaiyuan wanted to do something to Ning Yuling, either to suppress her and let Ning Yuling take the blame?
However, she did not want to intimately discuss Ning Yuling's matter with them.
"Yes, Fifth Sister, can you tell us what happened, exactly?" Although Ning Qingshan was unhappy that Ning Xueyan pushed her hands away, she still gave a gentle smile, because she was shrewd and deep.
"No, I can't tell you exactly
At this point, there was no need to say too much. The meaning was all inside it.Ning Huaiyuan and Ning Qingshan chatted warmly with each other for a while. Then they came to Ning Xueyan. They normally weren't so kind to her, but now both of them came here. It seemed that they came with evil intention.Anyway, it was impossible that Ning Xueyan first mentioned Ning Yuling.Madam Dowager was also old and experienced. She looked at Ning Huaiyuan indifferently and showed some disapproval. Ning Xueyan was no longer who she used to be. If everything went well, she would marry into the imperial family. No matter which family she married into, what Ning Xueyan represented was the same as Ning Qingshan, so she could not be offended.Seeing the sadness in her grandmother's eyes, Ning Huaiyuan reacted quickly. He pressed his hand against his nose with malicious intent and bowed to Ning Xueyan, saying apologetically, "Fifth Sister, I'm sorry.
Seeing that Ning Xueyan refused, Ning Qingshan did not dissuade her. She said goodbye to Madam Dowager and Ning Zu'an, then went upstairs with Ning Lingyun.Third Prince Ao Mingyu booked the No. 5 private room upstairs. But at this time, he was not in his private room because the Fourth Prince had called him over. They drank and talked with each other in the Fourth Prince's private room. He left his private room to Ya Moqin, who had come with him.Before leaving, he expressed his regret. He wanted to call Ning Qingshan over to meet Ya Moqin.Three years ago, when Ning Qingshan went to the imperial palace, she didn't meet Ya Moqin, so they didn't know each other."Cousin, don't worry. Even without you, I can get to know the Third Young Lady in a while. Cousin, you don't have to worry." Seeing Ao Mingyu's repeated warning, Ya Moqin burned with jealousy. Ning Qingshan, right? In recent years, she had talked about her because Ning Qing
"Don't worry. You can find out what happened between them." Ning Qingshan gritted her teeth and held back her anger. She was clear-headed now and remembered that Ao Mingyu treated Ning Xueyan differently. It could be seen that Ning Xueyan must have something to do with the Third Prince. If she said so, Ning Xueyan wouldn't be wronged."Okay, okay. Come on. Go and invite the Fifth Young Lady here. Tell her that my cousin and I are waiting for her." Hearing Ning Qingshan's words, Ya Moqin looked pale. She gritted her teeth and spoke with hatred. She wanted to see what the little vixen looked like.The Lord Protector was a fox's den. She just caught a big fox, but she didn't expect that there was also a little one. Today, she had to teach the little fox a lesson.After receiving the order, the maid immediately went downstairs and went to the private room of Lord Protector's Manor. She pushed open the door and walked up to Madam Dowager with respec
Right now, they began to pop their heads up and saw the floor above them. Ning Xueyan was pointing at a private room, whose door was half-open so that they could hear Ya Moqin's sarcasm. Her voice was loud as if she was talking about something, but they could not hear it clearly.They could see that there was a male figure in a gorgeous robe standing at the door of the private room. He seemed to eavesdrop on what was being said inside. They could only see his back, so they did not know who he was. But judging from the clothes, he was either rich or noble. However, it was strange that a man stood in a private room with two women inside to eavesdrop.Ning Xueyan's voice was not loud, so she didn't disturb the person.Ning Lingyun was looking for an opportunity. When she saw the figure in front of her, she rolled her eyes. Stopping to pretend to have a stomachache, she quickly walked up two steps. She pointed at the man at the door and shouted, "H
"What's the matter, Third Prince?" Ning Xueyan handed the ointment to Ning Lingyun, and asked her to apply the medication on Ning Qingshan. No one noticed the alertness in her eyes. She did not think Ao Mingyu would notice it in such a situation."Fifth Young Lady... Could you do me a favor?" Ao Mingyu hesitated for a moment, as if he was too embarrassed to speak.Ning Xueyan did not say anything and waited quietly for Ao Mingyu to speak. Her jet-black eyes were cold and indifferent. She did not want to have anything to do with Ao Mingyu, but it was evident that the Third Prince was not of the same mind. Although he did not turn his head, Ning Xueyan knew his eyes had a trace of jealousy in them.Ao Mingyu used to feel rancor for Ning Qingshan because he wanted to pull Ning Qingshan down from the position of the first wife. At the same time, he also wanted to remove Ya Moqin, who was arrogant and domineering, from the position of the first wife
"Your Highness, do you want Fifth Young Lady of Lord Protector's Manor to enter your manor?" At this time, an elegant young man was sitting in the Third Prince's private room. He picked up the chess pieces and slowly put it down. It seemed that he asked this question nonchalantly."My father will choose a legal wife and two co-consorts for me this time. It should not be difficult for me to ask for another concubine." Sitting opposite the young man, Ao Mingyu looked relaxed, as if he was talking about a mere dog or a cat. Of course, in his eyes, it was not difficult.She was a co-wife's daughter. Since he took a fancy to her, he was determined to marry her.As a prince, he could have a consort, two co-consorts, and two concubines. At most, the women in his manor were only madams and maternal aunts. These positions had always been vacant. He would not sell them off if he did not derive anything from it.The ones in the running for th
Even though there were no other outsiders here, these guards and coachmen had all witnessed the terrible scene. If this tragic thing happened to her, Ning Xueyan knew that it would be effortless for Ao Mingyu to threaten her with it.Just now, she felt very strange because Ao Mingyu's guards specially told her to sit in the last carriage. However, it was common knowledge that the last one was the easiest to be left behind. Ning Xueyan didn't know what Ao Mingyu meant by doing this, but she was sure about one thing—next, at least Ning Qingshan's carriage would be safe.After the farce caused by Ao Xian today, Ning Qingshan‘s reputation was on the edge of being ruined now. If anything more happened to her, she could not even join the Beauty Contest. But how could Ao Mingyu allow such a thing to happen? Thus, Ning Qingshan must be in the safety zone. It was also the reason why Ning Xueyan struggled to send herself into Ning Qingshan's carriage."W
Seeing Madam Ling's serious face, Ning Huaiyuan knew what Madam Ling was thinking about. He advised her again, "Mother, you have a son and a daughter. Why are you afraid of a concubine, one of a maid origin? Even if she is the most favored concubine now, she is just a plaything. After a while, when my father does not like her anymore, you can beat and scold her. It's all up to you, Mother. Why are you unhappy now?""That little bi*ch, I wanted to keep her for you before, and she agreed. I did not expect that she would hook up with your father only a few days after I went to the Buddha Hall. What a shameless bi*ch!"When Madam Ling talked about this, she wanted to scratch Yu Lian's enchanting face. She had known that this bi*ch would have an affair. To prevent her from serving Ning Zu'an in bed, she specifically told her that she would give her a title when Yuan'er came back if she went with him. Unexpectedly, she was still so dissatisfied with her lot. Mada
"What will you do now?" Ning Xueyan had to take two quick steps to catch up with Ao Chenyi's pace. "Destroy the nine barbarian states alongside Wen Xueran?""No." Ao Chenyi raised an eyebrow and smiled mysteriously. "I'll negotiate with Wen Xueran."Confused, she repeated, "Negotiate?""The people of the nine barbarian states have always been different from those of the central plains. They're valiant and barbaric. For many years, they have wanted to invade us. If it weren't for the princes of Annan holding down the front, the nine barbarian states would have attacked us a long time ago. Annan troops have fought the nine barbarian states more than our troops did, and they have a better chance of winning too."Ao Chenyi said calmly. He didn't like the nine barbarian states in the slightest. If it weren't his father forbidding him from going to the faraway hinterland of the nine barbarian states, where death was almost certain, he wo
It didn't take long for Qingyu to return from the Lord Protector's Manor with a new piece of news. It was said that there had been a haunting in the prayer hall of the manor.Rumor had it that an older maid became ill from the fright of seeing a ghost.A long time ago, the Cloud Reflection Courtyard was said to be haunted too. No one dared to come close at that time, not even during the day. Even though the rumors died down later on, a few people who were deeply affected by the events said that the situation was still grave then.Therefore, even though only a maid had seen the ghost, the rumors spread like wildfire in the manor.The prayer hall used to be Madam Dowager's favorite spot. It was later used to imprison Madam Ling for some time. Now that Madam Ling was dead, everyone feared that she was the ghost. It was said that Madam Ling was an evil woman when she was alive. Even in death, she might become a malicious ghost. The sit
Ao Chenyi was so close that his handsome face was all that Ning Xueyan could see, and he didn't look all that happy. Then, she realized that she had been holding tightly onto a strand of his black hair.She flung her hand and hastily released the strand of hair in her hand. She even caressed the hair on his temples with a wide smile. "Why are you here? When did you come? Why didn't you wake me up?"Ning Xueyan looked truly confused as if she really didn't know that she had grabbed Ao Chenyi's hair until it hurt."Playing dumb, huh?" he said coldly, frowning at her. His slender fingers reached out and lightly pinched the wing of her nose."Ouch!" Ning Xueyan held her nose pitifully. Her limpid eyes seemed glazed over as if brewing tears."Now you know it hurts!" Ao Chenyi's thin lips were curved into a smile. He was satisfied to see her not daring to voice her frustration.Ning Xueyan nodded firmly without
"Can you remember it now?" Ao Chenyi narrowed his eyes and knocked on their table with his slender fingers. His voice sounded a tad threatening."I… I really can't remember." Ning Xueyan felt like she had thought of all the possible answers but she was still coming up empty. She had no choice but to admit her fault."You really can't remember?" His beautiful eyes curved into a charming arc and his expression was sinister. Sure enough, this was a bad situation to be in. She didn't even hesitate to grab his hand with a bright smile on her tender face."Even if I can't remember, you can still remind me, right?" She knew it would pay well to cajole this man.Ao Chenyi wasn't polite with her either. He turned his hand over and pinched her soft face. His expression had improved considerably. There was a faint smile on his face as he asked, "If I tell you, can you really understand and remember what it is?""Of course I can!"
It seemed that at this point of the letter, the Empress couldn't continue anymore. There were only tear stains on the paper, followed by wide empty spaces.Then, the Empress said how reassured she was that Madam Ming would be taking care of her newborn. Madam Ming would be a fine mother. She had also asked someone to watch over Madam Ming and the newborn. Their statuses in the previous dynasty had vanished like smoke. Time was always moving forward and the changing of imperial dynasties was inevitable.The only tragedy was the eternal separation of her from her husband, and of her from her daughters.The only reason she had written the letter was that she couldn't help herself. If she never said anything, her child would never know the truth. That would have been for the best. Yet, she couldn't accept this, so she would hand the letter to the person who would be looking after Madam Ming. If Ning Ziying's identity was revealed to the world one d
The news of Ning Zu'an's death shocked everyone in the Lord Protector's Manor. Even though the title had been passed onto Ning Huaijing, Ning Zu'an was the patriarch of the family. Even without the title, he was still the most authoritative figure in the manor.Madam Dowager collapsed as soon as she heard the news of his death. She became ill and bedridden, unable to get up.Ning Xueyan couldn't leave the palace freely due to her status as the Empress. She sent Qingyu and Mother Han to the manor and had them inquire about Madam Dowager's health in her place. Mother Han returned to Prince Yi's Manor afterward while Qingyu entered the palace to report to Ning Xueyan.It was inconvenient for Mother Han to live in the palace because she had a son to take care of. Instead of entering the palace with Ning Xueyan, she stayed in Prince Yi's Manor as the housekeeper. Ning Xueyan was prepared to release her from the manor when the situation stabilized in
"The Empress discovered a secret tunnel under Chenyuan Palace by accident. She never told anyone about it. She even killed the maid that discovered the tunnel with her and accompanied her in walking through the tunnel. In other words, she was the only one who knew about it," Ning Xueyan explained.This was the Empress' secret. To prove it, she used Yun Luoluo's incident as an example. When Ning Xueyan was drugged in Chenyuan Palace, the Empress wanted to take her to a room. There, a man would sneak into the palace through the secret tunnel.If Ning Xueyan woke up and discovered herself in disheveled clothes in the presence of another man, she would surely panic. To protect her secret, she would surely agree with whatever the Empress wanted. The Empress wanted to use Ning Xueyan to force Ao Chenyi into accepting his "affair" with Yun Luoluo.Unfortunately, Ao Chenyi had appeared all of a sudden. She didn't dare to do anything with him around, so
Ao Chenyi didn't try to persuade her this time. This had bothered her for so long that she would continue to suffer for it if she didn't cry it out now. He held her tighter and allowed her to wet the front of his robe. She didn't brawl. All she did was close her eyes and let her tears stream down her face. When her tears finally dried, she sat quietly in Ao Chenyi's embrace for a long time.It was so quiet inside the room that she could finally calm down.Her hands were being held so tightly in Ao Chenyi's hand that she could feel the callus in his palm. He was Prince Yi, the late Emperor's beloved prince who grew up to be the infamous Demon King. Those who mentioned his name would often be frightened and alarmed. Only she knew how difficult his life had been.Ao Chenyi was still young when he drew his elder brother's jealousy and suspicion. He was framed, imprisoned, and nearly died. His fiancee abandoned him at his lowest point, sought shelte
"It was and wasn't an accident. He could only blame himself. No matter what, he was the one who forced my hand and cornered me to this state. He ruined my everything. Him dying in my hands could be considered as his retribution."The Empress began to look calm again. She turned her head and stared at Ning Xueyan with a trace of sadness in her eyes. "I invited you here to ask you to let go of my family. It's all my fault and has nothing to do with my family. They're just a small and useless noble family. In exchange for their safety, I'll tell you a secret."Her voice had lost her previous agitation and anger, leaving only a sense of helplessness. She had never put any hope in her family. She thought that she would be able to help her people after gaining power but now that she was in trouble, she was worried that her family would be implicated and sentenced to death.She had resented her family countless times for marrying her off to the Empero