Chapter 208   Those Things She Had Hidden

Everything in Cloud Reflection Courtyard was more decaying. Weeds sprang up at the corner and on the path. Obviously, no one had been here for a long time. When Ning Xueyan pushed open the door of the master bedroom, the wind blew in and the dust on the floor was stirred up. It had been full of laughter here not long before, but now, no laughter could be heard any more.

She walked into the room and came to the bed. She narrowed her eyes slightly when she pushed away a needle and thread basket.

Obviously, someone had rummaged here carefully. Although that person was cautious, Ning Xueyan still found out.

Because the thin blue thread hanging in front of the needle and thread basket had gone, and the left and right sides of the red thread tied at the back of the basket was no longer completely equal as Ning Ziying had put it on purpose.

Ning Ziying had been so cautious, because her mother had repeatedly reminded her that she should not let anyone find what inside, otherwise, something big would happen and even bring about death. Although Ning Ziying had not believed what her mother said, as an obedient daughter, she had still put the thread around the basket on purpose after hiding those things carefully.

In the past three years before Ning Ziying’s death, nobody had come here to look for anything. However, after she had just died a few months, someone rummaged here.

Someone had even come to Cloud Reflection Courtyard to look for something!

Ning Xueyan took out the basket and crawled under the bed. She moved to the left foot of the bed against the wall and took out a brick. There were a small package and a letter. She put them into her pocket and covered the hole with the brick gain. She then moved out from under the bed and laid out the thread around the needle and thread basket as before.

She had a hunch that someone would come again!

She looked into the dusty mirror, brushed her hair and smoothed her clothes before slowly walking out from the room. Then she closed the door and took a deep breath, her gaze fixing on the lotus pool not far away. A bloody smell seemed to emanate from her chest. After a while, her lips twitched and a cold smile appeared on her face.

No matter for Ning Ziying or for Ning Xueyan, she would make those murderers pay for their blood!

Ning Xueyan half closed the back door of the Cloud Reflection Courtyard and turned around without haste, lifting her skirt hem. Qingyu felt relieved when she saw her calm figure and she immediately walked toward Ning Xueyan.

“Miss, is there...”

“Nothing. I just had a look casually,” Ning Xueyan said gently.

“Is there anything abnormal?” Qingyu asked after a short hesitation, following behind Ning Xueyan.

“Nothing. Let’s go!” Ning Xueyan nodded.

Seeing that Ning Xueyan did not want to talk more, Qingyu stopped asking. She walked toward Bright Frost Garden following Ning Xueyan.

At a high building of the courtyard, Third Prince and Fourth Prince sat next to each other with Ning Huaiyuan by their side. After all, Ning Huaiyuan was a man, and his injury was not that serious, so after applying some effective medicine, he had almost recovered. Except for one of his hands was not very handy, nobody could tell that he had been injured.

After receiving the invitation for dinner, the two princes came much earlier than everyone had expected. So Ning Huaiyuan was asked to accompany them to rest and drink tea at the tall building of the courtyard.

Ning Huaiyuan was tactfully talking about the jewelry shop with Third Prince while Fourth Prince was looking in distance through a telescope.

This telescope was a tribute presented by other countries and there were only very few such telescopes in the imperial palace. Fourth Prince had just gotten it and he was very curious. When he was looking around, he found a delicate figure in the telescope. Ao Mingwan froze for a few seconds and then was overjoyed. He had agreed to come here for dinner because he wanted to see this Third Young Lady of the Lord Protector’s Manor.

He had fallen in love with her at the first sight. He had never thought that there was such a wonderful girl in the world!

If he had known that the Third Young Lady of the Nings was so outstanding, he would have engaged her three years ago and would not leave any chance to Ao Mingyu!

Thankfully, nothing had been decided yet, so he still had a chance. Although the rumors said that Ning Qingshan was going to become Ao Mingyu’s principal wife, they had not been officially engaged yet and he still had some room for manoeuvre. Besides, he had told his mother that he was fond of Third Young Lady, and asked her mother to manage to marry Third Young Lady to him.

However, his mother told him that things were not going well. It seemed that Honored Consort Ya liked Third Young Lady very much!

At the thought of this, Ao Mingwan’s mood turned sour. It was not until the girl walked into a yard that he put down the telescope. He thought for a while, standing by the rail. Suddenly, he turned around and walked toward Third Prince. “Third Brother, is your jewelry shop competing with Lord Protector’s Manor’s?” he sat next to Third Prince and asked with a smile.

“It’s not a big deal. Maybe our attendants are fighting for business. Huaiyuan, please don’t mind. I’ll ask someone to see into it. I won’t allow them to bid up the price and cause loss to both of us,” Ao Mingyu nodded politely and said to Ning Huaiyuan with a laugh.

“Thank you for your concern for such trifles, Third Prince. I thank you on behalf of my grandmother,” Since Third Prince had generously agreed to see into this matter, Ning Huaiyuan said with a laugh as well.

“Huaiyuan, don’t worry. My third brother will solve the problem. It’s said this account book was checked by Fifth Young Lady of your manor? It’s remarkable that she can check account books at such a young age!” Ao Mingwan praised with an ulterior motive.

Rumors about the dispute between Third Young Lady and Fifth Young Lady for an account book had spread out from the Lord Protector’s Manor and all the well-informed people had known it. People held different views and Ning Qingshan was the focus of their discussion, and many of them were arguing whether Ning Qingshan was a hypocritical person.

“She is still very young, and she is only helping my grandmother to check the account books briefly. Since she had never taken care of accounts before, she knew very little about it. And we should thank God that she hasn’t made any big mistakes,” Ning Huaiyuan said modestly with a smile.

He seemed to be modest. However, far from expressing admiration for her, he was hinting that Ning Xueyan pretended to know what she did not and meddled in the backyard.

Ao Mingyu’s eyelid twitched, but he only smiled without speaking anything.

“She is already so capable at such a young age! It’s said your fifth sister is only fourteen. She can even manage such a big manor now, so she must be able to manage a big family well in the future.” Ao Mingwan shifted the topic and said to Ao Mingyu, who had been in silence, “Third Brother, since you’re not married, you’d better engage such a wonderful girl as soon as possible. I’m sure she will be the hostess of a manor in the future.”

“It’s said Third Young Lady of the manor is also excellent,” Ao Mingyu raised his head and said meaningfully with a smile.

“Third Young Lady is also nice, but it seems she is not as outstanding as Fifth Young Lady. Third Brother, Third Young Lady is two years older than Fifth Young Lady, but Madam Dowager felt assured to let Fifth Young Lady manage the manor, so Fifth Young Lady must be very capable. Third Brother, your manor has no hostess now, and your mother always wants you to find a capable woman. I’m sure Fifth Young Lady is the right person for you!”

Ao Mingwan suggested with a smile. He looked relax and natural with a smile in his eyes, as if he really cared about Ao Mingyu.

Princes like them really needed a capable wife to manage those beautiful ladies and their concubines of the backyard. If they could not even keep their family in harmony, how could they manage a country?

Therefore, Fourth Prince had grasped the key of the problem when he said this. Because Third Young Lady and Fifth Young Lady had fought for managing the manor, Fourth Prince did not like Fifth Young Lady. How could he be happy after knowing that his beloved woman had been humiliated. But he knew that it was the right time to praise Fifth Young Lady in front of Third Prince now.

However, to his surprise, the relationship between Ao Mingyu and Ning Qingshan was far closer than he had imagined, and it was impossible for him to shake it because what he said.

But it also made Ao Mingyu more depressed. He had promised to marry Ning Qingshan, but now he hesitated a little.

He thought Ning Qingshan had framed Ning Xueyan at the imperial palace on purpose with that note. At the thought that Ning Xueyan’s reputation had almost been ruined by Ning Qingshan, he felt angry. He even thought that Ning Qingshan was too cruel and ruthless.

Ao Mingyu himself was not an innocent person and he had killed and set up many people, so he could turn a blind eye on what Ning Qingshan had done. However, at the thought that the person who had been framed was Ning Xueyan, thinking of her delicate figure, her weak and cold eyes, he was upset and even distressed.

Because of this, he was angry with Ning Qingshan.

Taking the opportunity to send gifts to the Lord Protector’s Manor, he had given the same gifts to Ning Qingshan and Ning Xueyan, because he wanted people of the Lord Protector’s Manor to treat Ning Xueyan a little better for his sake. However, to his surprise, Ao Mingwan had also gotten himself involved in and sent the gifts only to Ning Qingshan, causing Ning Qingshan’s status higher than Ning Xueyan’s in the manor.

What annoyed Ao Mingyu more was that Ning Qingshan had accepted Ao Mingwan’s gifts. What did she mean? When had she started hooking up with Ao Mingwan? Was that mean that if he did not marry her, she would find another man for herself?

Ao Mingyu became even angrier at the thought of this. As a noble prince, he could dump a woman, but he could not bear to be dumped by a woman! He had come here because he wanted to know what Ning Qingshan was thinking. He was a prince of the country, not a man who can be chosen or dumped by Ning Qingshan at will.

It had been three years since they parted. She had changed so much!

It seemed the gentle girl, who had protected and taken care of him wholeheartedly three years ago, was leaving him gradually.

She had become a vicious and thoughtful person!

What was she really like?

“Fourth Brother, so you think Third Young Lady is not good enough?” Ao Mingyu raised his head slightly with a graceful and faint smile. He rotated the tea cup in his hand and asked casually. However, there was coldness in his eyes when he spoke.

“I didn’t mean that.” Ao Mingwan paused for a while and then continued with a smile, “I mean she is not as excellent as Fifth Young Lady. As Fifth Young Lady is so remarkable at such a young age, after two years, no, after only one year, the threshold of the Lord Protector’s Manor would be crushed by the matchmakers.”

He was intent on matchmaking Ao Mingyu. It would be perfect if Ao Mingyu changed his mind and married Fifth Young Lady. Then he could marry Third Young Lady. It did not matter even if Ao Mingyu could not decide for the moment. At least he would let Ao Mingyu know that Third Young Lady was not the best choice.

Thus, if he married Third Young Lady in the future, Ao Mingyu would not get too angry with him.

All the imperial members were thoughtful and calculating. Ao Mingwan looked straightforward, but he was actually not, and he was also a competitive candidate for the throne.

“Fourth Brother, it seems you’re fond of Fifth Young Lady,” Ao Mingyu said, pretending that he did not understand what Ao Mingwan said, an unpleasant look in his eyes. He thought that Ao Mingwan should mention neither Ning Qingshan nor Ning Xueyan in front of him.

“I’m not having feelings for her. Third Brother, I just think that she is a good match for you!” Ao Mingwan knew he could not be too blunt, so he said with a laugh.

“Huaiyuan, it seems I really need to talk about my marriage with your grandmother. Since both Third Young Lady and Fifth Young Lady are so excellent, I don’t know if they can marry me together, like the two sisters, Ehuang and Nvying, in the legend?” Ao Mingyu said, squinting at Ning Huaiyuan next to him with a smile.

“Ehuang and Nvying? He has really regarded himself as the emperor!” Ao Mingwan’s face darkened.

Ning Huaiyuan was surprised. His heart sunk and his face turned pale, his forehead sweating. It was hard to answer Third Prince. He did not dare to say “No” to him, however, he had no right to make the decision.