Sapphire-colored embroidered brocade, white jade crown atop the head, handsome and elegant appearance, an amorous smile—this man was the very picture of a bewitching demon when he curled his lips. When he smiled enchantingly at her, his almond-shaped eyes were slightly narrowed.
Though stunned, Ning Xueyan quickly calmed down. She walked to the table in the room and sat down. "Princely Heir, why did you invite me here? Do you have business with me?"
She was certain that the one who summoned her was the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Min. In her past life, she had seen how extraordinarily ruthless this man could be.
In the beginning, she was perplexed as to who would want to meet her, and in such a mysterious way too. When she ran into Xia Yuhang outside the store, she nearly thought it was him. She quickly dispelled the idea because Xia Yuhang wasn't that capable and he wouldn't act so mysteriously either.
It was evident from h
"Who are you?"That was Ning Xueyan's biggest question today. What he said was true, but they weren't things that he should be privy to. How old was he then? He must have been fairly young, so he wouldn't be so clear about it, especially about her mother's relationship with the Empress.If he was merely the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Min, she didn't think he had any reason to know all these secrets.Moreover, she was the only one speculating about this matter. She hadn't told anyone, not even Lanning and Qingyu.It wasn't because she didn't trust them; she simply preferred they didn't get involved. The more people knew about it, the more troublesome things would be. She was roped into this unwillingly and didn't want the people around her to get involved."I'm your maternal cousin. You can also call me your paternal cousin," Wen Xueran said, looking calmly at Ning Xueyan. He didn't give her any chance to avoid
Ao Chenyi left Yuyan Shop ahead of Ning Xueyan. He had no choice but to leave because his robe was dirty from being used as a handkerchief for her tears. Besides, even if he wanted to show some respect to the Lord Protector's Manor, he couldn't let Madam Dowager and the rest obtain it so easily. When it came so easily, it would lack solemnness.It was best to show the Lord Protector's Manor grace and majesty at the same time.Ning Xueyan stayed behind a little longer to calm her emotions. Lanning and the other maids only relaxed after they saw Ao Chenyi walk out with a calm expression. When they heard Ning Xueyan summoning them, they went in to help her freshen up."Young Lady, Shopkeeper Han brought this earlier. Aunt Xiang sent it from the palace. I think it's a prescription." Once Ning Xueyan was all cleaned up, Lanning took out a letter from her bosom. Such letters would come from the palace every once in a while.This was a pr
"Xueyan, you're here. Come here, come here so I can take a look at you and see if you've gotten thinner." The moment Madam Dowager saw Ning Xueyan step in, her face was immediately full of smiles as she beckoned her over. Ning Xueyan had never experienced such a warm welcome from her before.Moreover, they had indirectly turned their backs on each other because of Ning Yuling's incident.She wasn't very polite when she left the last time, but Madam Dowager's big smile was devoid of any grudges as if she was truly just returning to the Lord Protector's Manor. It was like the previous incident had vanished like smoke and no one cared about it.Madam Dowager was indeed snobbish.Suppressing the coldness in her eyes, Ning Xueyan put on a slight smile as she walked over to Madam Dowager and gave her a deep bow. She still needed the Lord Protector's Manor at the moment. Ao Chenyi had arranged for this manor to be her backer and this mano
Ning Lingyun had fought with both Ning Xueyan and Ning Qingshan. One time was her fighting Ning Xueyan on her own and the other time was colluding with Ning Qingshan to frame Ning Xueyan. The last time was when she plotted against Ning Qingshan with Ning Xueyan's help.She lost the first time. Despite getting her marriage with Ao Xian approved, she lost the second time and therefore lost the marriage. The third time, she worked with Ning Xueyan and ended up getting her marriage with the Third Prince approved..."Fourth Young Lady, the Fifth Young Lady is here." A maid's voice came from outside."Hurry up and invite her in." Ning Lingyun composed herself before tidying her clothes with Caiyun's help and rushing out.Ning Xueyan strode in through the gate of the courtyard. Most people at the manor had already received news that the Fifth Young Lady had become Princess Yi and nobody dared to slight her. Everyone bent over backwards to
Ao Chenyi would only come after lunch and everyone in the Lord Protector's Manor had no choice but to wait for the arrival of such an important figure. Thus, it wasn't until he arrived at the outer courtyard and dined with Ning Zu'an and Ning Huaijing that lunch for the women was finally served in Madam Dowager's Lucky Garden.Ning Xueyan didn't leave immediately after lunch. On the contrary, news came that Prince Yi was leaving.This was normal. The fact that Prince Yi was able to come was enough to excite everyone in the Lord Protector's Manor. They had lost the Emperor's favor following the string of events caused by Madam Ling and her daughters. Even a once-great general like Ning Zu'an was merely given an insignificant role at the Ministry of War and couldn't even meet the Emperor.The Lord Protector's Manor had truly fallen out of favor. Everyone knew this, but fortunately for them, they still had Princess Yi. At this moment, Madam Dowage
Ao Xian.Ao Xian, the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li, was the one who was trapped by Ning Lingyun previously, took fancy to her, and firmly asked to get himself and her betrothed.When he broke off the engagement later, it all seemed that he treated Ning Lingyun unjustly.Although he had now broken off the engagement, he still had a good opinion of her because he had been thinking that she was a good young lady, but Ning Qingshan was the one he hated so much…Ning Lingyun looked at the slip of paper in her hand for a long time and then went to the courtyard of Concubine Xu. The two women closed the door and talked for a while. After that, Ning Lingyun returned to her courtyard, and Concubine Xu went to Ning Zu'an's study.Ning Zu'an frowned in his study. Just now, Prince Yi said again and again that he appreciated Ning Huaijing. As for what the prince meant, he was clear: The prince thought that only Ning Huaiji
She really didn't feel that she was protected so well that she could not be hurt.In her previous life, she was so well protected by her parents. When she was in the regions south of the Yangtze River, she had almost no worries. Being carefree, she thought that as long as she was kind to others, others would also be kind to her, but the reality was that she ended up dead because she was too kind and believed others too much."Or my mother thought that I will have the right to know my family background only when I am killed." She looked up at Mother Han with her slightly red eyes while biting her lips."Miss, Miss, I, your old slave, will tell you all. I'll tell you all, okay?" Seeing that Ning Xueyan was so sad, Mother Han had great grief and cried so sadly that she couldn't get up."Mother Han, I know my mother made the decision for my good, but will I be really happy if I don't know about it? What if the marquis has learned it? O
An eardrop!A jade eardrop with rubies at the bottom!The phoenix pattern on the eardrop with a golden hook could be seen clearly!The pattern on this one looked clearer than that on the one she got from Mother Wang, and there were no other traces on this one. Now it was lying quietly in the sachet.It really was that eardrop.Now they were a pair in her hands, looking exactly the same.This meant that what Wen Xueran said was right. She and Ning Ziying really were biological sisters, with the same mark and eardrops as well as two adoptive mothers who concealed their family backgrounds...Ning Xueyan's room was quiet for a long time. Mother Han waited outside her room in fear, and Lanning and Qingyu also waited outside. After a long while, they heard a peaceful voice from the room, "Qingyu.""I'm here." Qingyu walked in hurriedly when she heard Ning Xueyan's call.In
"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