Chapter 230   Princely Heir, Why Are You Here?

When they arrived at the courtyard where they had rested previously, before they entered, they saw Ning Lingyun’s maid and the older female servant who was in charge of guarding the door, standing at the door, as if in a trance. They were staring with horror at whatever was inside the room, and shouting loudly.

The shrill cries even could be heard clearly in the courtyards nearby, not to mention the courtyard here.

“What’s the matter?” Ning Lingyun forced herself to ask.

“Princely Heir... there... the Third Young Lady, they... ” The maid reached out and pointed inside. She was so frightened that she trembled and stammered.

Before she finished speaking, a sharper and even more frightening scream rang out, then the sound of something falling to the ground could be heard. The screen that blocked the view was knocked to the ground, making a loud noise.

Under the surprised eyes of everyone, Ao Xian fell out together with the screen, in embarrassment and his clothes were in disarray.

On the other side, Ning Qingshan sat up on the bed and clutched her mussed up clothes tightly. Her white shoulders were exposed, and her face was pale. She was terrified and screaming.

Ning Qingshan and Ao Xian were together, while their clothes were awry. All the people standing at the door were too surprised to say anything.

The loud crashing sound of the screen falling to the ground stunned the excited Ao Xian. He looked at the people standing at the door blankly, then turned his eyes toward Ning Qingshan, who was gritting her teeth and staring fiercely at him, from the bed. He was also surprised and pointed at Ning Qingshan, saying in a trembling voice, “Third... Third Young Lady Ning! ”

He remembered that the one he was holding had been the prostitute, and the one he had just kissed was also the prostitute. How could she have turned into Ning Qingshan, after a short time? The Third Young Lady Ning was going to marry the Third Prince. How could have he climbed into her bed?

“You... why are you in Third Sister’s bed?” Ning Lingyun also stared at Ao Xian, and pointed at him in disbelief, with tears in her eyes.

“I... I... I just wanted to have a rest. I... I didn’t know that there was anyone here.” Being stared at by so many people, Ao Xian also knew it was not good and hurriedly tried to stammer out his explanations. He was fully awake now. He had intended to meet Ning Lingyun in private. He did not know how he got lost and followed the prostitute here. Unexpectedly, that woman was not the prostitute, but Ning Qingshan. How could he not regret it.

At this time, he felt very guilty when he saw Ning Lingyun.

Ao Xian was anxious and confused now, and just wanted to settle this matter, so he showed resourcefulness in an emergency, and said he just wanted to have a rest here. Of course, he could not say that he came here specially, or the Third Prince would kill him.

“You just took a break here instead of your own room?” A cold voice came from behind the crowd.

Xinmei pulled Ning Xueyan back, and saw Ao Mingyu appearing at the door with an angry look on his face.

Although Ning Qingshan was not his consort yet, Honored Consort Ya had told Ao Mingyu about the benefits of marrying Ning Qingshan, so it was inevitable that Ning Qingshan would marry into the Third Prince’s Manor. But such a scandal had happened to Ning Qingshan. Although nothing serious had happened between Ao Xian and her, according to the current situation, it was still a scandal.

Ao Mingyu felt that he had been betrayed, and his face immediately turned livid.

“You... how can you and Third Sister...” Ning Lingyun was also shocked. She took two steps back, pointed to Ao Xian and Ning Qingshan, and shivered. Suddenly, she burst into tears and threw herself at Ning Xueyan. “Fifth Sister, let’s go back. Let’s go back.”

Ao Xian was Ning Lingyun’s fiance, but he and Ning Qingshan had been found together in a bed. It was obvious that Ning Lingyun had been wronged, so it was normal for her to cry at this time.

“I... I didn’t..” Ning Qingshan also came to her senses at this time. She looked at Ao Mingyu, and anxiously explained. But Ning Lingyun’s cries were so loud that her voice could not be heard.

“Fourth Sister, don’t cry. Let’s go back. We’ll go back at once.” Ning Xueyan, holding Ning Lingyun to appease her, retreated to the gate of the courtyard. It seemed that they were neither too fast nor too slow. She and Ning Lingyun got out of the courtyard in a few steps and no one noticed them, because it was such a mess inside.

Ao Mingyu, who was always the calmest at ordinary times, was very angry now, because of this incident. He stared at Ao Xian, and did not notice that the two Young Ladies of Lord Protector’s Manor had left.

Ning Xueyan and Ning Lingyun just took a few steps, and met Ning Huaiyuan, who came in a hurry.

“What happened?” Seeing Ning Lingyun coming out with tears, while holding on to Ning Xueyan, Ning Huaiyuan stopped and asked.

“Brother, you’d better go inside and have a look. Something serious happened!” Ning Lingyun just cried and did not reply. Ning Xueyan pointed to the yard and said vaguely.

The vague words were more frightening. Hearing that, Ning Huaiyuan left in a great hurry. He did not care about Ning Xueyan and Ning Lingyun, and went to the courtyard with some people. Just then, he clearly heard Ning Qingshan’s sharp scream. He knew that it was Ning Qingshan, who had had an accident. Then he thought that the Third Prince had gone. How could he not be anxious.

“Your Highness, what happened?” Ning Huaiyuan walked into the courtyard, and asked urgently before he got to Ao Mingyu. “This is the place for women to rest. Ning Xueyan and Ning Lingyun are OK. Does it mean that something happened to Ning Qingshan only?” Thinking about the scream he heard, Ning Huaiyuan’s expression changed.

Ao Mingyu pointed to the inside of the room, with a livid look. Ao Xian was crawling out on his hands and feet, having no time to tidy himself up. Ning Huaiyuan could tell at a glance that he had left the bed in a hurry. Then he looked at the Ning Qingshan who was sitting on the bed. Ning Huaiyuan felt bad. He did not need to ask. The evidence was in front of him.

“Princely Heir, why are you here?” Ning Huaiyuan went up, grabbed Ao Xian’s collar, and asked angrily.

“I... I went to the wrong place. I went to the wrong place!” At this time, Ao Xian also knew that he was in big trouble. He was very lucid now, which was rare, and explained, cold sweat dripping from his head. He had intended to curry favour with the Third Prince. But now it seemed that he had failed, and made him annoyed. How could he not be worried.

Although the status of Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li was noble, compared with that of the Third Prince, it was still far behind.

“You went to the wrong place?” Ning Huaiyuan gnashed his teeth, as he repeated what he said. He punched Ao Xian and told him angrily, “You went to the wrong place and came to the womenfolk’s place. If you go wrong again, will you go to the Imperial Palace?”

“Your Highness, I really went to the wrong place. At noon, I drank... drank too much. I came out to change my clothes and was in a daze. I did not come here on purpose...” At this time, Ao Xian could not say he had followed someone here, no matter what happened. “I have been thinking about the prostitute day and night, so I mistook the Third Young Lady of Lord Protector’s Manor for the prostitute, when I was in a daze just now.”

“If I had seen it clearly at that time, I would not have followed her, and entered the room directly!”

Ao Xian was full of regret now. Originally, he had intended to have a great time with a woman, who had nothing to do with others. Unexpectedly, the woman belonged to the Third Prince. How could he not be regretful.

“Who discovered it just now?” Ao Mingyu had also calmed down at this time, and his face recovered a little. He strode to the courtyard and asked the people.

Ning Huaiyuan dragged Ao Xian out of the room, and threw him at the foot of Ao Mingyu.

“It’s... it’s me and the maid of Fourth Young Lady. She said that the earrings of the Fourth Young Lady were missing, so she and I went to the room to try and search for a while, but we didn’t find them. Then we went to the Third Young Lady’s room, because she said that the Fourth Young Lady and the Third Young Lady had been in the room earlier, and that they might have dropped on the floor of Third Young Lady’s room.”

The gatekeeper heard the question, and knelt down hurriedly, and explained the whole matter.

“It means that if it hadn’t been for Ning Lingyun’s maid, maybe something would really have happened between Ao Xian and Ning Qingshan, then I can’t marry Ning Qingshan, and those benefits will belong to others.” At this thought, Ao Mingyu became angrier and looked coldly at Ao Xian. “Sure enough, he is just a useless libertine.”

“Yes, when I came over, I heard the two Young Ladies of Lord Protector’s Manor saying that they were going to look for the earrings in Third Young Lady’s room.” Xia Yudong took the initiative to explain.

It was obvious that the Third Prince was going to look into the matter, so he dared not hide anything. If Third Prince found out later that he knew about the whole matter, but did not say anything, it would inevitably arouse the Third Prince’s suspicion.

Then the whole matter was clear. Ning Lingyun and Ning Xueyan went out for a walk and suddenly discovered that Ning Lingyun’s earrings were missing. The maid came back to find them first, while Ning Lingyun and Ning Xueyan looked for them behind the garden. The maid could not find the earrings in Ning Lingyun’s room, so she went over to Ning Qingshan’s room to find. But Ao Xian had come in earlier, and gone to the wrong room and was in Ning Qingshan’s room, when they were looking for the earrings...

“Where is the maid? Where is Third Young Lady’s maid?” Ao Mingyu asked in a cold voice. “Shouldn’t she be guarding Ning Qingshan’s door for her?”

“Your Highness, I... I went to the garden to pick flowers for our Young Lady.” Feiyue also knelt down in the crowd, her face pale with fear.

Feiyue came back and wanted to tell Ning Qingshan that she did not see Ao Xian and Ning Xueyan in the garden. Unexpectedly, Ao Xian was here and was on Ning Qingshan’s bed, which greatly frightened her. She was just a maid, so how could she be responsible for this. So she huddled in one corner, and did not know what to do. Hearing the question, she had to come out and kneel down.

“Bitch!” How could it be so coincidental! Ning Huaiyuan was so angry that he kicked Feiyue hard and she fell to the ground.

Feiyue’s mouth was bleeding, but she dared not get up. She fell on the ground and cried to Ning Huaiyuan, “Eldest Young Master, it was really the Young Lady who asked me to go out. I am only carrying out the orders of the Third Young Lady.”

Like Ao Xian, Feiyue dared not think of any other things at this time. She just wanted to settle this matter, otherwise she would die.

“How dare you frame your master! Cover her mouth and take her away.” Ning Huaiyuan said with a cold face.

Ao Mingyu nodded. Then one of the bodyguards behind him came, picked up Feiyue’s handkerchief from the ground, covered her mouth with it, and took her away.

Now that it had happened, there must be someone to shoulder the responsibility. Ning Qingshan’s maid had not guarded her well, which led to this matter. So they just needed to punish this maid, and ask the people present to keep it secret. In this way, this problem would be solved and the reputation of Ning Qingshan would not be tarnished.

Ning Huaiyuan thought so, and so did Ao Mingyu. They looked at each other and reached an agreement. So they shut Feiyue up and made her the scapegoat.

However, at the same time, they thought of another problem. Rather than talking about it, Ning Huaiyuan turned around and ran out. Ao Mingyu followed him, then stopped. He hurriedly ordered the bodyguards behind him and shouted, “Invite the Fourth Young Lady and the Fifth Young Lady here. I have something to say.”