"Okay, thank you, Third Sister." Ning Xueyan's lips curved, and she did not refuse her offer anymore. Since Ning Qingshan insisted on helping her with "good intentions," how could she refuse?
Since they were going to perform together, it was normal for them to get ready now. After thinking for a while, Ning Xueyan quietly stood up and walked to the wing room at the side. She had to go down to prepare. Ning Xueyan saw that all the ladies who were ready for their performances were waiting in the wing room, on the left side of the hall. They would come out when the eunuch in the hall called their names.
"Fifth Sister, it's still too early. Let's go down together later," Ning Qingshan said with a smile, when she saw Ning Xueyan going down at this moment. Although they were only going to play music, they had to change their clothes and make the necessary preparations.
Ning Qingshan had already got her zither and dress ready. Now she deliberately del
"Fifth Sister, you don't want to play the zither?" Looking at Ning Xueyan's gorgeous dancing dress, Ning Qingshan turned blue in the face. Even though she was usually quick witted, she was stunned this time.After all kinds of calculative moves and plans, when she heard Ning Xueyan's consent in the hall, she told the palace maid earlier that she would be performing with Ning Xueyan, and even chose the longest song. Unexpectedly, Ning Xueyan would not be playing the zither, and wanted to dance at the last moment. When did she bring this gorgeous dance dress in? How could she not have known?Ning Xueyan said calmly, "Yes. Mother taught me some dance movements previously. I decided to dance when I saw that the song you chose is suitable for dancing.""But, but, I..." Ning Qingshan was anxious and angry."What's wrong? Third Sister, don't you think it's good?" Ning Xueyan looked at Ning Qingshan with her clear, black eyes.
"Is that the Fifth Young Lady of the Lord Protector's Manor? Didn't they say that she was uncultured?""It must be another rumor. I heard that the Lord Protector's Manor's wife is jealous. It must have been said on purpose. Otherwise, the Second Young Lady won't be famous. With such a sister, the Second Young Lady will definitely have a rival.""That's right. That must be the reason. Otherwise, the Fifth Young Lady will already be well-known." Some childes from the aristocratic families whispered from the sidelines. They were sitting behind Prince Yi, Third Prince, and Fourth Prince. At this time, several of them even craned their necks to get a better look.Those who were not married yet planned to ask their families to propose marriage to the Lord Protector's Manor, when they got back. They would propose to the Fifth Young Lady. Although she was still young, everyone knew that she would be indescribably beautiful and striking in two years, wi
After the song ended, Ning Qingshan's hand dropped instantly. The pain in her fingertips caused her hands to spasm. The nerves of the fingertips are linked to the heart. If it was not for the fact that it was a very important occasion, she would have given up earlier.The eunuch came down and waved to them to leave.The ladies looked at Ning Qingshan. Ning Xueyan came over and held Ning Qingshan. She asked in a gentle voice, "Third Sister, what happened? Did you hurt your hand?"In other people's eyes, Ning Xueyan's words sounded as if she was very concerned. But from Ning Qingshan's point of view, she could only feel the coldness and ridicule that she did not even try to hide. "Ning Qingshan tried to frame me. What should I do now? Otherwise, my finger would have been injured at this time, and I'm the one who would be viewed with disfavor!"Honored Consort Ya protected Ning Qingshan so that she could play her song till the end, su
Everything in front of her was not the usual scenery which one would see in the palace.Ning Xueyan did not know how she stumbled upon this place. What was this place? The scorched weeds showed evidence of a recent fire. There were some blackened stones and half-burnt planks which had a few words on them. Unfortunately, it was too badly burned, so she could not see what the original words were.On the half-wall in front of her, some yellowing weeds sprouted intermittently Although it was already spring, the plants did not grow well and were all withered and dry. The crooked pillars were the only props that supported the half-ruined palace. One side had totally collapsed, and the other was already crumbling to pieces.From the fire scars and the weeds, it was evident that this palace had been burned sometime ago. It should be the ruins of a burned palace from the previous dynasty. No one knew why it had not been repaired and appeared so run down
"Aunt, I want that bitch dead. I want her dead." Ning Qingshan had a ferocious look on her beautiful face.Looking at her tightly wrapped hands, Ning Qingshan felt a burst of pain, as a wave of hatred and anger surged in her eyes. Hearing the imperial physician telling her that her hand was almost crippled, Ning Qingshan had only the name "Ning Xueyan." on her mind. It was this bitch who had ruined her hand and the path of her promotion."Qing'er, we can't deal with her at this time. Let's talk about it later." The Honored Consort Ya sighed and tried to soothe her, holding her other hand, which was uninjured."Aunt, a few days later? Isn't that when she will be married to my cousin? Aunt, I won't allow her to marry my cousin." Ning Qingshan gritted her teeth and looked coldly at the Honored Consort Ya. There was an evil look on her face. She was unwilling to give up. How could she be willing? She was to be the wife of the Third Prince, but how
Her wrists and chin began to itch, and her tender skin began to swell at a visible speed. Hideous sores sprouted and covered her wrists and the back of her hands. Her hands were unpresentable. Several sores grew on her chin, ruining her beautiful face.It was painful and itchy, but Ning Xueyan knew that she should not scratch the itch. If she scratched her skin, the inflammation would inevitably spread. However, this could not be verified.This was from a recipe that Aunt Xiang had given to her. It took effect due to the mutual restriction between two kinds of flowers. Only the flower juice of balsamine and pollen of the Mingyang flower were effective. If she did not touch it, it would heal in a few days. But if she scratched it, it would spread out on a large scale. Even if it healed, there would be scarring.Even though she felt uncomfortable, she could only endure it, as a trace of determination flashed in her eyes.The flower s
"Did my uncle take her away?" Ao Mingyu suddenly stood up and asked, as his face paled."Yes, I heard that it was because of the dispute with the Vice Minister of Justice Ling's daughter. Prince Yi happened to witness it, so he asked her to go to the Small Jing'an Temple to seek the Buddha reason." The eunuch answered carefully."Coincidence? He did it on the spur of the moment? So, he brought her to the Small Jing'an Temple to let Senior Nun Yuming see if they were compatible with him?"Ao Mingyu frowned and asked, "Did the two ladies go to the Small Jing'an Temple together?""The Vice Minister of Justice Ling's daughter was unwilling to go, and was thrown into the flowering shrubs, and her face was hurt.""What about the Fifth Young Lady?" Ao Mingyu was shocked and unconsciously clenched his fist."The Fifth Young Lady did not say anything to Prince Yi, and she followed the eunuch to the Small Jing'an Te
"Ning Ziying is the princess of the former dynasty," Senior Nun Jing Kong said in a low voice with sadness and anger in her eyes."I was the princess of the previous dynasty in my previous life?" As if being struck by lightning, Ning Xueyan felt like her body almost went stiff.She had imagined thousands of possibilities, but not this one. If she was the princess of the previous dynasty, what was the real identity of the noble Ning Qingshan?Taking a deep breath, Ning Xueyan could not help but protest in spite of her composure, "Master Jing Kong, you must get it wrong!""Fifth Young Lady, since you're close to the princess and she also left the last words to you, you must have found she was kind of different from ordinary people." Since she had revealed Ning Ziying's real identity, Senior Nun Jing Kong did not intend to keep anything from Ning Xueyan.It was said that the imperial harem was on fire when the former dyna
"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