Mother Ruan didn't stay long in the Pear Flower Garden. Having stopped by Commandery Princess Xianyun's Great Wisdom Garden earlier, visiting Ning Xueyan's courtyard was considered part of her job as the steward of the inner courtyard. Today, she had managed to meet the two new mistresses of Prince Yi's Manor.
Everything in the manor had been taken care of and there was nothing wrong with the inner courtyard either. Besides, with the Princess around, Ning Xueyan didn't think that any task would land on her hands. She decided to hide in her room and take a comfortable nap.
She thought that she might develop insomnia after moving to a new place but she quickly got used to her new environment and was able to sleep well. Back when she was nursing her health in the Bright Frost Garden, her doctor had advised her to take frequent naps. Sleeping more would help her regulate her already weak body.
So, Ning Xueyan developed a napping habit!
That was what Commandery Princess Xianyun thought and firmly believed. So, even if Ao Chenyi had been so cold to her this morning, she felt that she had an absolute chance at victory upon calming down.She didn't want to let go of the chance this time. The reason she wanted to get Ning Xueyan involved was so that she would have a scapegoat. If she had gone against Ao Chenyi's intention, she would pin the blame on Ning Xueyan. Besides, he didn't like the consort anyway. Compared to the Princess that he had just married, it would be easier for him to punish his unfavored consort.Of course, if she managed to satisfy Ao Chenyi, she would take all the credit without any guilt. She was the person who proposed the plan, after all, and Ning Xueyan was just an observer."Go! Bring the person here so I can hear the story again," she said, gritting her teeth. Things had gone too far. Even if Ning Xueyan wouldn't come, she had no choice but to investigate
"Don't worry. Let's watch and see how it goes. I'm sure that we'll hear something by dinnertime!" A relaxed Ning Xueyan finished a knot on her pendant and continued knotting downward. There was a cold smile on her face. This matter wasn't so simple and Ao Chenyi probably wouldn't want her to make her move now.That was why the Prince suppressed the matter without informing her. If he had other intentions, he wouldn't have told her not to rush things in the carriage. It was apparent that there was a deeper meaning to his words.Commandery Princess Xianyun was too impatient this time, unlike her usual calm temperament.Even if she wanted to suppress the consort, she shouldn't have done it in these two days. She should have focused on maintaining the peace of Prince Yi's Manor. Truth to be told, she probably had a million ways to deal with a consort who was rightfully below her!Ning Xueyan suspected that it was because Ao Chenyi didn
"Don't worry. It wasn't targeted at you." The languid smile on Ao Chenyi's face didn't last long as his thin lips curved into a cold sneer. Both his nephews had given him trouble, refusing to let him marry Yan'er in peace. Fortunately, a single stumbling block in the form of Ya Moqin was enough to deepen the conflict between the two.Of course, he wouldn't let Yan'er know about this. He felt a fire rising up in him just at the thought that those two daring to secretly covet her. It seemed that he should let Yan'er attend more banquets to make them give up on her. He wasn't the kind who would have qualms about showing off his belongings to others.Those would dare to try and steal his belongings should at least think about whether they had the life to enjoy it!After hearing his reply, Ning Xueyan thought that the perpetrator must be in the Emperor's camp and didn't question him any further. Instead, she asked, "Is that older female servant one
Sleeping in and returning to the family home late!If she was an ordinary married woman who needed her maiden home's protection, doing so would surely be a great act of disrespect. In her "current" situation, she was unfavored in Prince Yi's Manor and had poor health to boot. Neglecting her maiden family would mean losing their support if something were to happen.Of course, this only applied to ordinary married women. Ning Xueyan didn't expect the Lord Protector's Manor to protect her, so things were the same either way.Ning Xueyan was neither late nor early when she arrived at the Lord Protector's Manor. Mother Qin, who had been waiting at the entrance, had been looking around several times. When she saw Ning Xueyan finally arriving, she checked the back of the carriage and saw no one else following. Though disappointed, she still walked up to the carriage and greeted Ning Xueyan."You're here, Consort Ning. Please enter quickly
"Grandmother, the Prince treats me very well," Ning Xueyan said, her face lit up with embarrassment. She toyed with her handkerchief with a flushed face, looking too embarrassed to speak. Her words weren't explicit, but the obvious joy on her face indicated that Prince Yi had indeed visited her courtyard.Madam Dowager felt the rock in her heart fall heavily to the ground, having been feeling uneasy ever since Ning Xueyan fainted on her wedding day. She was afraid that Ning Xueyan would be in trouble as soon as she entered Prince Yi's Manor. Prince Yi wasn't a generous man and any careless mistake could easily implicate the Lord Protector's Manor.She could still remember Prince Yi personally visiting their manor and warning them against any schemes. He had even nearly withdrawn his marriage proposal. The fact that he could make such a provocation made her feel deeply uneasy."Didn't the Prince ask you why you fainted?" Madam Dowager repeated h
"Fifth Sister, save me! You have to save me! I don't want to go to Prince Yi's Manor! I want to go to the Third Prince's Manor! Fifth Sister, please help me!" Ning Lingyun was so horrified that she burst into tears on the floor. She held onto Ning Xueyan's sleeve and cried so hard that her body was trembling.She wanted to enter the Third Prince's Manor, not Prince Yi's Manor! Even the beauties sent by the palace suffered such horrible deaths! Their fate was even worse than a maid. How would she dare to enter such a place?The Third Prince's Manor was heaven compared to Prince Yi's Manor. Moreover, the Third Prince was gentle and his words were always kind. Whenever he visited the manor recently, he would always look at her with particularly kind eyes.The Third Prince liked her, and he surely did. She was sure that she would be favored after entering his manor. If she was lucky enough to give birth to a son, she might rise in ranks above Ning
After hearing Ning Xueyan had fainted twice on her wedding day, first at the Lord Protector's Manor and then at Prince Yi's Manor, Ning Qingshan became quite happy in the past few days.Making use of the incident to get rid of Ning Lingyun was naturally another source of happiness for Ning Qingshan.Ning Qingshan had immediately noticed Ning Lingyun's affection and gentle demeanor in front of the Third Prince. She herself had faked such a performance when trying to earn the Prince's favor. Speaking of which, Ning Lingyun wasn't as good as she was. At least, most people wouldn't suspect her when she was faking it back then.Ning Lingyun was different. Her current temperament contrasted her previous temperament so starkly that it would be weirder not to notice it. Particularly, she would become even "timider" and "gentler" in her expression, manner, and overall demeanor every time the Third Prince came over. Few people would be able to miss it wh
Ning Xueyan did not immediately come because she said that she was unwell and might come a little late. Now the excuse worked every time she used it. Anyway, she could not keep it from others. All the people knew that she was unhealthy so that when she got married, she passed out once in the Lord Protector's Manor and Prince Yi's Manor respectively.The comer was Ning Lingyun, who had happened to be chatting with Ning Xueyan in the Bright Frost Garden, so she came to apologize to Third Prince in the name of Ning Xueyan."Fifth Young Lady hasn't recovered yet?" Ao Mingyu said with a smile, looking peaceful."It's not that she hasn't fully recovered, but that she is a little..." Ning Lingyun seemed to find that what she said was somewhat unsuitable, so she hurriedly bowed her head and did not try to finish her words.Ao Mingyu knitted his eyebrows silently. This meant that Ning Xueyan's health was not as poor as the rumors claimed, o
"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