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 He had even nearly withdrawn his marriage proposal.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
Madam Dowager immediately became silent because it was not easy to give a proper answer, especially when she had promised Ning Qingshan previously that she would send Ning Lingyun to Prince Yi's Manor.Ning Xueyan went to the chair opposite Ao Mingyu, silently sat down, and slightly lowered her eyes, avoiding the look in the deep eyes of Ao Mingyu."Grandma, how could Fourth Sister do such a thing? Previously, she..." Seeing Madam Dowager remained silent, Ning Qingshan became quite anxious and said tearfully as she raised her head. "I can't let Ning Lingyun marry into Third Prince's Manor. The bitch even dares to take Third Prince from me." Although she saw Ao Mingyu holding Ning Lingyun in his arms just now, she never believed that Third Prince would hug Ning Lingyun first."It must have been the bitch Ning Lingyun who arranged it on purpose. I heard that Ning Lingyun had done this before I came back." "Third Sister, is it useful
Seeing that Ao Mingyu was ignoring her show of compromise and focusing on Ning Xueyan instead, Ning Qingshan concealed her resentful expression behind her handkerchief. What an immoral woman. How disgusting of her to seduce the Third Prince after she had married Prince Yi."Your Highness, I'm a woman who remains in the boudoir all day long. The only people I meet are those living in the inner courtyard. How would I know who wants to hijack my sedan? Do you happen to know? If you do, please let me know, Your Highness," Ning Xueyan said, standing up to give Ao Mingyu a solemn salute.She acted so naturally that she showed not even an ounce of pretense. Her ashamed and indignant expression dyed her pale face with an attractive and vivid red color. Under her long eyelashes, her beautiful eyes were filled with anger. Of course, anyone who would be furious to have barely escaped such a huge disaster."Your Highness…" When Ao Mingyu stared blankly at
Ning Xueyan left in the evening, after having a few bites of dinner.Knowing that she would be leaving, dinner took place much earlier than usual at the Lord Protector's Manor. Since this was her homecoming ceremony, it was only right for the family to have a "warm" dinner at Lucky Garden.Ning Zu'an appeared normal but said little. But, now and then, he would glance at Ning Xueyan out of the corner of his eye with an unpleasant sense of scrutiny. It was fortunate that she never felt anything for this scumbag of a father. Let him stare all he wanted; it wasn't like he could stare a hole in her.Ning Zu'an wouldn't do anything to her, now that she possessed a little value. Although he couldn't make his beloved son his heir at the moment, he wasn't in a hurry either. He was at the peak of his life. He could even marry another woman and bear a new heir. Thinking about this made his heart skip a beat.Madam Dowager was as "kind" as alw
Ning Xueyan stayed only briefly in the Yuyan Shop and left soon after.On her way home, all she could think about was Hua Yunheng's words. How could it be true? How could it be? Her betrothed in her past life was Xia Yuhang. When did it become Hua Yunheng? Why didn't she know anything about this?Back then, he was only eleven or twelve, and she was only about seven or eight. Now that she thought about it, she was about ten when she learned about her engagement with Xia Yuhang. Her parents had merely told her that her engagement with Xia Manor was decided a long time ago.Could there be a misunderstanding?Was Hua Yunheng lying? But, Ning Xueyan swiftly discarded this thought. He didn't have any reason to deceive her. She was nobody to Ning Ziying; she wouldn't know anything about Ning Ziying. She appeared completely innocent in all of these.Was Hua Yunheng really going to pay his respects to her? Or was he looking for
"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