"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
"Miss, Ning Ziying has passed out. Should I continue to beat her?"Two women in fine clothes were sitting high up in the Yunying courtyard of the Lord Protector's Manor scornfully looking at the thing huddled on the ground. It was so badly mutilated that it could barely be recognized as a human being. They picked up their teacups and slowly took a sip of tea.One of them walked forward and brushed aside the matted hair. She said with affectation, "Sister Ying! Wake up, Sister Ying!"Ning Ziying raised her dirty face, covered with mud. A few bloody cuts were visible where she’d been scratched by Ning Ziyan's nails."Sister Ying, don't hate your elder sister. It’s not my fault you had an affair. And to think, Brother Yuhang almost married a dirty woman like you...""Ning Ziyan!" she bellowed with difficulty, "it is you who had an affair with my fiancé and caused him to break it off with me!"Ning Ziyan put h
As she opened her eyes and looked at the strange surroundings, Ning Ziying was full of doubts.She knew she’d been drowned in the lotus pond. So, where was she now? And how had she gotten here?Seeing the white clothes on her body and the simple arrangement of a funeral in the house, Ning Ziying suddenly felt dizzy, and a lot of strange memories poured into her mind.Ning Xueyan was the cowardly, 14-year-old Fifth Young Lady of the Lord Protector's Manor. Her natural mother was the unfavored co-wife of the Lord Protector, Madam Ming, who had died the day before. Ning Xueyan had died at her mother's funeral due to grief, and no one had yet noticed.And Ning Ziying was reborn in Ning Xueyan's body! She had all of her new body’s memories, as well as her own.The sound of joy and laughter in the front yard made her feel that it was a dream...According to Ning Xueyan's memories, Xia Yuhang and Ning Ziyan were
"Mother Yun, I heard that you are in charge of the kitchen today. Why didn't the masters have dinner, yet all the servants have eaten?" Ning Xueyan stretched out her hand and pointed at the greasy corner of Mother Han's mouth, smiling ironically.Mother Yun was shocked to see that Ning Xueyan was so fierce today. But when she remembered that it was madam's order to neglect the Fifth Young Lady, she was perfunctory again."Fifth Young Lady, you're the daughter of the Lord Protector's co-wife. It's very disgraceful of you to argue with us. You'd better go back first, and when we're not busy, we'll send it to you."After that, without waiting for Ning Xueyan to answer, Mother Yun turned to the two women following her and said, "Take the Fifth Young Lady back to her yard!"Mother Yun was Madam Ling's trusted servant, so she knew that she had to prevent Ning Xueyan from going to the front yard and destroying the wedding ceremony.
The surrounding maids and women reacted because the Fifth Young Lady still was a mistress of the manor, even though she was not favored. If something bad were to happen to her, all of them would be punished. They were overwhelmed, trying to wake Ning Xueyan up and calling for a doctor.The shouts in the garden passed to the front yard, where the madams were having a banquet. They looked at each other, not knowing what had happened.A blood-stained female servant hurriedly walked by, but was stopped by a madam in splendid clothes. "What happened in the backyard?"Mother Han was confused when Ning Xueyan had asked her to go to the front yard before she fainted, but now she understood. The Fifth Young Lady wanted all these madams to go to the garden!She said to the madam, "A servant stunned the Fifth Young Lady in the garden. I'm going to fetch the doctor!"Mother Han's words shocked all the madams. A servant dared to hi
Ning Xueyan stood up unsteadily, holding onto Mother Han's hand, and said, "Grandma , please spare Mother Yun. Maybe we were too impulsive."All the madams were stunned by Ning Xueyan's unexpected pleading for Mother Yun. Ning Xueyan was still young, but she behaved elegantly. They had not known there was such a girl in the Lord Protector's Manor; they had only heard how gentle and elegant the First Young Lady was.Looking at the gentle and graceful Ning Xueyan, Madam Dowager Liu felt happy and spoke with a soft smile on her face. "Xueyan, why did you plead for her? She hurt you and doesn't respect you. She's an evil servant.""Grandmother, I agree she has to be punished for hurting me, but I think today is important, and it's not suitable to kill her. She has been working in the Lord Protector's Manor for many years. How about asking her to go to the backyard? It seems like suitable punishment for her negligence as a servant." Ning Xueyan smil
"Find out where Mother Yun will be locked up," Ning Xueyan said quietly."But..." Qingyu said hesitantly."Go!" Ning Xueyan said and gave her a push.This time, Qingyu turned and ran away.Looking at the back of Qingyu, Ning Xueyan smiled.Mother Yun was Madam Ling's accomplice and must know a lot about the Madam’s schemes. How could she let her die so simply?***The Lord Protector's Manor was holding a wedding ceremony and the banquet was arranged near the second door. But the backyard was in chaos, and nobody noticed that somebody was watching them in a loft near the second door .In a vast, luxurious living room, a handsome man sat against the railing. His clothes had a pattern of bloody flowers on a black background. He was beautiful, but also daunting. Several guards stood far away, at the entrance of the stairs, not daring to move. The temperature around him was di
Hearing the Madam Dowager's inquiry, Madam Ling hurried to cry out her grievances!"Mother, I arranged for food to be sent. Maybe the servants were too busy to serve the Fifth Miss — there were so many guests, and I can't always be with the Fifth Miss! It really has nothing to do with me."Madam Dowager looked at Madam Ling unhappily for a while, then said in a deep voice, "You've been in charge of this manor for some time. How can these servants deceive and bully their masters? Although Xueyan lives in a remote house, she is also a mistress of the Lord Protector's Manor. Later, you will arrange for more servants in her Bright Frost Garden. She can't be slighted any further.""Yes, Mother. I was too busy and neglected Xueyan. Xueyan, it's my fault. I am sorry." Madam Ling made an apology quickly, then turned to Ning Xueyan and began a formal bow of apology.Ning Xueyan saw this and knew that if she were to accept Madam Ling's bow,
When Ning Xueyan finished, everyone fell silent."Who... no one will tell His Majesty!" Madam Ling struggled to speak.Madam Dowager Liu pounded the desk heavily and stood up. She pointed at Madam Ling, then turned to stare at Ning Zu'an. She knew the Madam Dowager's decision was not proper and understood the consequences if it was discovered. She disliked people who behaved improperly, and now she saw that Madam Ling wanted Madam Ming to take responsibility for her own mistake. It might bring disaster to the Lord Protector's Manor!Madam Dowager Liu was so angry that she could not speak for a moment. After a while, she said angrily, "Madam Ming has died, but you still want to humiliate her. Madam Ling, you have replaced her — aren't you satisfied? Why do you make trouble? Zu'an, how could you let this happen? Did you hate your wife that much?""Aunt, I..." Ning Zu'an trailed off, frowning slightly. He gave a look to Ning Xueyan an
"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