Sure enough, Yun Luoluo got the timing right—she waited until Ning Xueyan woke up from her afternoon nap to come over.
She brought only a maid with her. Yesterday, she had formally apologized to Ning Xueyan with the excuse of being deceived and even indignantly expressed that her sister had gone too far this time. Thus, she was able to visit today without any burden.
Since Yun Luoluo was a guest at Prince Yi's Manor and they had also agreed to put the past behind them, Ning Xueyan had to respect her. After receiving her master's order, Lanning invited Yun Luoluo in with a bright smile.
"Princess Ning, I hope you won't find me a nuisance for visiting you again!" Yun Luoluo saw Ning Xueyan the moment she entered and her face was immediately full of smiles.
Ning Xueyan's room was so well-decorated that even an experienced person like Yun Luoluo couldn't help being envious after seeing the decorations inside. Her elder sister's room wa
It was still early when Ao Chenyi came over, but he must have stopped somewhere else for his face was covered in sweat. The first thing he did upon arriving was taking a quick bath and then changing into an ordinary home attire. Before marrying him, Ning Xueyan sewed several home attires for him and kept them in the Pear Flower Garden.He had been moving those attires to the Moon-embracing Tower, so there weren't many left here.Thus, aside from running her errands, Ning Xueyan had been sewing more attires for him. This was, of course, the part that made him the happiest.She was rather speechless as she watched him step out of the bathroom with his black hair scattered over his shoulders. She put down her needle and thread, stood up, and grabbed the clean towel that Eunuch Zhu was handing her. After pulling Ao Chenyi toward the couch in front of the bed, she began to dry his hair."If Xianyun stirs up any more trouble, you can kil
When Princess Ning of Prince Yi's Manor sent invitations to her banquet, news spread and caused a commotion.Some were curious, some speculative, some intending to get on her good side... Many manors wanted to get their hands on the invitation.But everyone knew that the banquet was Princess Ning's first official event after being promoted and would thus be a relatively small affair. Priority would be given to young ladies and mistresses from aristocratic families as well as Princely Heirs. After all, Princess Ning was still young and this was the first official banquet thrown in her name.Not many invitations would be sent. Having too many guests would make it hard for Princess Ning to manage the banquet.After the invitations were sent, everyone who received one expressed that they would surely attend.Who would dare to reject an invitation from Prince Yi's Manor? Even if one was without curiosity, not attending migh
A young eunuch stood in an inconspicuous spot by Chuihua Gate, watching young ladies and mistresses walking down the road, sometimes in groups of three or four. It was a lively sight. No one noticed the young eunuch standing in a corner.A maid walked out of the gate, looking all around. There were many guests at the manor today, and many maids kept coming in and out. Thus, she was equally as inconspicuous.Suddenly, her eyes brightened when she potted the young eunuch. She immediately walked over to him. This wasn't their first meeting; both knew each other well.One was Ning Qingshan's maid Caifen and the other was Ao Mingyu's personal eunuch.The two of them exchanged a few words under the tree before going their separate ways. One entered the backyard while the other entered the outer courtyard.On the other side, a dainty young lady found her way to the Moon-embracing Tower like she had been there many times. Seei
"What's the matter? Third Young Lady Ning, you really know how to act. I can't believe you'd run all the way here to find men on your lame foot. You should've told me earlier; I could have prepared you eight or ten for you so you could fulfill your lust." Ao Xian looked Ning Qingshan up and down while clicking his tongue twice. He spoke bluntly without giving her any face.When he remembered that Ning Qingshan had ruined an engagement that he was happy with and harmed the woman that he wanted to marry to the point that their engagement was broken off, he felt anger rise in him. Having learned about Ning Qingshan's handicapped foot from Ning Lingyun, he held no qualms about saying whatever he could to hurt Ning Qingshan."What are you saying, you playboy?" His words sent Ning Qingshan panicking. If such a rumor about her were spread, she wouldn't be able to hold her head high again."Did I say something wrong? Hadn't the Third Prince catch us re
Everyone saw a surprised-looking maid of Prince Yi's Manor behind them.Seeing that Third Young Lady Ning had been warned earlier, it became apparent that her motive in coming here wasn't so pure. There was also the fact that the Third Prince decided to return in the middle of their stroll. Could it be that they had planned for a rendezvous?And at the Prince Yi's Manor, at that! The Third Prince wasn't acting in a way that befitted his status."Third Sister insisted on coming here, saying that there might be a place we can rest in. She said her foot isn't well," Ning Lingyun explained on her sister's behalf. Her explanation, however, made everyone look at Ning Qingshan's legs and made the latter feel like her secret had been exposed. She even felt that they were giving her extra glances because they noticed that her foot was lame."Shut up! Stop talking!" Ning Qingshan retorted angrily. She wanted to strangle Ning Lingyun to death
"Is Second Young Lady inside?" Commandery Princess Xianyun stood at the window and looked in the direction of the Moon-embracing Tower. From here, she could see the tall building in the distance."She's inside. I saw her saying something to the guards before going in. I waited outside for a while but didn't see her come out," Qiuhuan said, bowing her head.A gloomy smile appeared on Commandery Princess Xianyun's face. "Is the Prince inside?""Yes. The Prince went out early in the morning but came back. He hasn't come out since." Qiuhuan had asked a few people and got the same answer."Good!" Commandery Princess Xianyun said. Her face, which had been gloomy for the past few days, revealed a sinister, smug look.It didn't matter if Yun Luoluo truly entered Ao Chenyi's room. As long as Ao Chenyi was in the Moon-embracing Tower, as long as Yun Luoluo come out with her clothes disheveled, he would have no choice but to bear
The more Yun Luoluo spoke, the more ambiguous she made things seem. It was as if she had admitted to her affair with Prince Yi. Otherwise, she wouldn't have referred to herself as a younger sister when she was older than Ning Xueyan. And look at her flustered state; she looked so weak and pitiful when kneeling to Ning Xueyan.But none of the young ladies and mistresses present dared to say anything. They had heard how Ning Xueyan reprimanded Madam Censor-in-chief Chen. Princess Ning wasn't as even-tempered and easily bullied as rumored. Her cold face was enough to tell them that anyone who spoke now would be in for a bad time.Thus, all of them pretended that they didn't see how pitiful Yun Luoluo looked and allowed Ning Xueyan to punish Yun Luoluo as she wished. They wondered if Ning Xueyan was just putting up a fierce front but not actually achieve anything."Third Young Lady Yun, why are you bringing up His Highness? Are you going to make hi
Yun Luoluo were in tears, who looked plaintive and seemed to have forgotten to struggle, but no one present was sympathetic to her while seeing that.Prince Yi was not in the courtyard but in the palace, where he was being with the emperor. Earlier, Yun Luoluo had said that Prince Yi had specially asked her to come here. What did that mean? Besides, her clothes were so in disarray, and there were red marks seemingly caused by intimate touches on her neck. What did this suggest? Moreover, just now, she had said righteously that all this was the idea of Commandery Princess Xianyun. What was the meaning of it then?Yun Luoluo would surely not have illicit intercourse with a servant, nor would she have relations with Prince Yi.The most possible reason was that Commandery Princess Xianyun and Yun Luoluo had intentionally made such a show, aiming to force Prince Yi to accept the claim that he had relations with Yun Luoluo, but Prince Yi was never a
"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