Chapter 232   Ning Lingyun Was Frightened

Ning Lingyun’s personal maid, Caiyun, had witnessed the dramatic change of the matter and she was scared. “Miss, what shall we do?” she asked, trembling.

She had seen that her master had to change her mind under Fifth Young Lady’s threat. According to Fifth Young Lady’s instruction, her master had to ask her to go to Third Young Lady’s room on the pretext of finding earrings. Then she had seen Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li in Third Young Lady’s room.

Things had not been undergoing as Ning Qingshan had plotted and Ning Lingyun had been on the back foot. Ning Xueyan had not only figured out Ning Lingyun’s plot, but also hinted her that Third Prince had never had a crush on her. It had made Ning Lingyun lose her mind. She had subconsciously agreed to follow Ning Xueyan’s words because she was so scared of her.

She had never thought that Caiyun would have found out something so shocking in Ning Qingshan’s room.

However, to her surprise, the events had been interlinked and out of her control. When she had seen the angry and grim look in Ning Qingshan’s eyes, Ning Lingyun knew that she had to stand on Ning Xueyan’s side, because Ning Qingshan would not let go of her.

Afterwards, she had done everything as per Ning Xueyan’s instruction. She had plotted nothing, but only followed Ning Xueyan’s words, but now it had caused such a big trouble and everyone was talking about it, so she was in a panic. Things would not change according to her will, and she was so regret that she had believed what Ning Qingshan had said and made up her mind to deal with Ning Xueyan.

“She is only fourteen years old, but how could she be so experienced? Ning Xueyan is such a scheming b*tch! I’m no match for her!”

“Caiyun, tell Madam Dowager that I’m sick. We should keep a low-key in the future and I won’t meddle in the affairs of Foggy Courtyard and Bright Frost Garden.” Senior Concubine Xu had come to her courtyard last night and cursed her. This time, she seemed to be smart and followed Senior Concubine Xu’s suggestion. She could afford to offend neither Foggy Courtyard nor Bright Frost Garden.

“The higher up you go, the more benefits you’ll get!”

That was Senior Concubine Xu had told her. Senior Concubine Xu was a smart person. Otherwise, she would not have given birth to a daughter safely under Madam Ling’s nose. Ning Lingyun was the only concubine’s daughter of the whole manor. So it was obvious that Senior Concubine Xu was a woman of means. She had come to tell Ning Lingyun not to act recklessly and wait for Madam Dowager’s instruction.

“Got it. I’ll report to Madam Dowager immediately.” Caiyun nodded. Like Ning Lingyun, she was extremely scared. She still felt nervous when she recalled what had happened that day. If what had happened to Third Young Lady had happened to her master at Third Prince’s suburban courtyard, maybe she would be the scapegoat. At the thought of this, she began to tremble. She thought she might end up like Feiyue in the battle among these Young Ladies.

So she felt relieved that Ning Lingyun had no plan to compete with the other two Young Ladies for the moment.

Both the master and the maid were so frightened. When they discussed the next move, people of Bright Frost Garden were talking about that matter as well.

On the day of the accident, Xinmei had already replaced the perfume pouch that Ning Lingyun had given Ao Xian with an ordinary one without any marks, but there was some aphrodisiac powder inside as well. Ning Xueyan had made the powder in person. The fragrance was faint and would not last long. It would fade away finally. That meant when Ao Xian woke up, he could not smell the fragrance at all. Therefore, nobody would find out the aphrodisiac powder.

“Mother Han, have you sent them away?” Ning Xueyan asked Mother Han as soon as she stepped into her room.

“Miss, she has gone. She said many thanks before leaving and she said that she would definitely repay your kindness if she had an opportunity,” Mother Han answered with a smile. Things had undergone smoothly. She had watched that woman getting in a carriage and leaving the city. She would go wherever she wanted and Third Young Lady would never find out that there had been another woman in plain clothes at Third Prince’s suburban courtyard on the other day.

It was the most popular prostitute that Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li and Ya Changqing had competed for. She had become a prostitute because she had no money to cure her mother’s disease. She had sold herself to the brothel. Unfortunately, her mother’s illness was too heavy to be cured, and not long after, her mother had died and her younger sister had been left alone.

Since her younger sister was left unattended, the procuress had wanted to bring her to the brothel. That woman had been reluctant to have her younger sister stay at the brothel, but her sister was too young and it would be dangerous for her to live alone outside without attendance. Although she had a close relationship with some powerful men, like Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li, these people would not be willing to buy her from the brothel and marry her. So she could not take care of her own younger sister.

When she had been worrying about it, Ning Xueyan asked Mother Han to visit her and told her that if she did one thing for her, Ning Xueyan would buy her from the brothel and give her a sum of money. Then she would be able to take her younger sister away from the capital.

On the other day, Xinmei had let her come into Third Prince’s suburban courtyard from the door of the flower greenhouse. After seducing Ao Xian to Ning Qingshan’s room, this woman had left by the way she had come in. Ao Xian was not familiar with Ning Qingshan, so he had thought himself taking the wrong person, and he had not dared to tell the others that he thought the woman he had seen was that prostitute and he had followed her to Ning Qingshan’s room.

Although this matter had been cleverly done, Ning Xueyan still wanted the prostitute to leave the capital. So she immediately asked Mother Han to send the sisters away after the prostitute had fulfilled her task. They would be a hidden trouble if they still stayed in the capital. Ning Qingshan could not find any clue for the moment, but Ning Xueyan worried that it would be leaked out someday because of somebody’s carelessness. Ning Qingshan had never thought that she would have become the victim of this affair, so she would do anything to strike back if she knew the secret.

Ning Xueyan had a hunch that as long as that prostitute was still in the capital, Ning Qingshan would find some clues. She wondered why Ao Mingyu was so patient with Ning Qingshan. The more he put up with Ning Qingshan, the more Ning Xueyan suspect Ning Qingshan’s background. There must be some secret that she was not aware of!

On the contrary, Ao Mingyu had no fear of Grand Tutor Ya’s granddaughter, Ya Moqin, at all.

Ning Qingshan must have something to do with Grand Tutor Ya’s Manor. It seemed that there were many secrets about Grand Tutor Ya’s Manor!

Seeing her frowning, Xinmei knew what she was thinking. “Miss, do you want to inquire to Prince Yi about Grand Tutor Ya’s Manor?” she asked in a low voice.

Xinmei was the secret guard Ao Chenyi had trained, so she was especially sensitive for such kind of things. There must be some reason. Otherwise, Ao Mingyu would not have put up with Ning Qingshan again and again.

“Be patient. Somebody else must be more anxious than us.” Ning Xueyan waved her hand and stopped Xinmei.

Ao Mingyu had put the matter to the rest and shifted all the blame on Feiyue, but everyone from influential families knew that Feiyue was just Ning Qingshan’s scapegoat, so they all guessed that something bad would happen to Ning Qingshan. With Ning Qingshan’s character, she could not swallow the result and would definitely find a way to turn the tables.

Sometimes, more haste, less speed.

Ning Xueyan had found some problems with an account of Ning Zu’an when she checked the account books. The account was recorded every month and it seemed nothing wrong with it, but in her last life, Ning Ziying had already found the problem. Now Ning Xueyan decided to find an excuse and suspend this account. Then Ning Zu’an must be very anxious, just like Ning Qingshan. The more anxious he was, the more likely it was that something would go wrong.

“Miss, Third Prince has calmed this thing. Does it mean that he will still marry Third Young Lady?” Lanning asked with a worried look. In the long run, although Fifth Young Lady was very smart, she was still out of favor. The marquis and Madam Dowager seemed to be nice to her, but in the face of interest, they would not stand on her side and defend her.

Once Third Young Lady really married Third Prince in the future, nobody would help Fifth Young Lady if Third Young Lady wanted to deal with her.

“Ao Mingyu will definitely marry Ning Qingshan,” Ning Xueyan said calmly with a firm tone. Looking at Lanning’s shocking face, she smiled slightly. “But Ning Qingshan is unlikely to be his principal wife.”

Ning Qingshan used to have a perfect reputation, she was Lord Protector’s principal wife’s daughter, Ao Mingyu had had deep feelings for her and had been grateful to her, plus, Honored Consort Ya had been favored her, so it should have been natural for Ning Qingshan to become Ao Mingyu’s principal wife.

But so many unusual things had happened to Ning Qingshan recently. She had been trying to hide her shoulder injury, and now Ao Xian had been found on her bed and nobody could tell if they had an affair or not. Even though Ao Mingyu had never blamed her for these, it did not mean that he did not care. The woman he would marry as his principal wife must be helpful to him. Ning Qingshan’s virtue was now in doubt and her fame was even worse than an ordinary noble Young Lady’s, so she had very little chance to marry Ao Mingyu as his principal wife.

But no matter what happened, Ao Mingyu would still marry her. From his unlimited forbearance toward Ning Qingshan, Ning Xueyan knew that he was determined to get Ning Qingshan and the benefits behind her.

Lanning was a smart girl and she immediately understood what Ning Xueyan meant. Her face lit up and she asked with a smile, “Miss, you mean we should just wait and see what Third Young Lady will do next?”

“In addition to Ning Qingshan, Madam Ling, or Madam Dowager and Ning Zu’an will make a move soon,” Ning Xueyan said calmly with a smile and leaned back lazily. Since Ning Qingshan had a problem to become Third Prince’s principal wife now, Madam Dowager and Ning Zu’an, who had been focused on Lord Protector’s Manor’s property, would not stand by.

Therefore, Ning Xueyan would just wait and see. But she would not wait too long.

Because someone people could not wait to take action!

Ning Xueyan had found some clues from what had happened at Third Prince’s suburban courtyard.

Was Ning Qingshan cooperating with Ning Ziyan? They had acted so quickly! The others might have not noticed this, but fortunately, Ning Ziying had known the Xia Manor well and she had seen Xia Yudong before, so she knew the situation better.

Xia Yudong was Xia Yuhang’s younger brother. Even though Ning Qingshan was resourceful, she could not get in touch with Xia Yudong unless someone had introduced them to each other. The person Xia Yudong admired most was his brother Xia Yuhang.

He copied the way Xia Yuhang spoke and behaved. Since he was obedient to Xia Yuhang, of course he would follow Xia Yuhang’s new-married wife, Ning Ziyan’s words. Therefore, it would not be difficult for Ning Ziyan to have him act as a ‘hero’ to save Ning Xueyan when Ning Xueyan was in trouble. From this, Ning Xueyan could tell that Ning Qingshan must have collusion with Ning Ziyan.

“Miss, the carriage is waiting outside. Shall we go now?” Qingyu lifted the door curtain and asked. She had learned from the doorman that no master had reserved the carriages today.

As she had been stopped at the gate because of Concubine Ma on the other day, Ning Xueyan failed to go to the cloth shops. She had reported to Madam Dowager again today and was about to choose the cloth now.

“Okay. Let’s go. Lanning, stay at home with Mother Han. I’ll go with Qingyu and Xinmei,” Ning Xueyan stood up and said with a nod.

She was a little busy recently, but Bright Frost Garden should still be alert, so she left Mother Han and Lanning, who was more mature, at Bright Frost Garden.

“Got it!” Lanning and Mother Han knew Ning Xueyan’s intention, and they immediately answered together.

The carriage had stopped at the manor gate. After that accident, all the carriages of the manor had been repaired and they were all in good condition now. They were available at any time for the masters. The doorman had prepared the best carriage for Fifth Young Lady when he heard that she was going to go out. Everyone had noticed that Fifth Young Lady became more important in the manor.

The servants were all very smart, and they all wanted to curry favor with her.