Chapter 428   Madam Dowager’s Anxiety

In the end, Madam Ling’s matter was settled quietly. It was announced that Madam Ling had been sent to Mingyuan Temple outside the city to cultivate.

As for the child in her belly, Madam Ling had only herself to blame. Ning Zu’an had proved that she directed and acted by herself to frame Ning Xueyan. By chance, Ning Zu’an saw the whole process. It could be said that the entire play happened under Ning Zu’an’s nose.

When Ning Zu’an thought of this child who could not be born at all, and the drug that Madam Ling used on him in Auspicious Clouds Courtyard, it was as if he had swallowed a fly, and he could not even talk about it. He almost took Madam Ling’s life on the spot. If Ning Huaiyuan and Ling Huanian had not begged him for mercy then, Madam Ling would not have survived this time.

Ning Xueyan went back early. After Madam Dowager came, she knew that this matter had nothing to do with her, so she asked Mother Qin to send Lanning and her back. As for the follow-up of the question, it was given by Madam Dowager, when she went to greet Madam Dowager the next day. Madam Dowager said that the issue was based on the fact that Madam Ling wanted to frame her. Anyway, she had to give Ning Xueyan an explanation.

If Ning Xueyan had not had something to do with Prince Yi’s Manor, Madam Dowager would not have done such a thing. In her opinion, Ning Xueyan did not have the right to know what she wanted to do. But that day, Prince Yi sent a pair of jade Ruyi Sceptre to replace the previous one. Madam Dowager still felt that Prince Yi treated Ning Xueyan differently.

The jade Ruyi was better than the one before. He had not sent it to the Lord Peace’s Manor as a betrothal gift. Instead, he sent it to Ning Xueyan on the excuse that he would send the better jade Ruyi to Commandery Princess Xianyun.

This matter was weird. If it had been any ordinary person, Madam Dowager could be quite sure that this person cared more for Ning Xueyan than Commandery Princess Xianyun. However, it was Prince Yi who did it, so she was not convinced. Everyone knew that Prince Yi was temperamental. He might like someone, and then maybe he would destroy her.

Therefore, Madam Dowager did not dare to show off. She only hoped that Ning Xueyan had truly won Prince Yi’s favor. In consideration of the possibility that Ning Xueyan could be favored, Madam Dowager thought that she had to give an account to Ning Xueyan about Madam Ling’s matter. She had never been close to Ning Xueyan before. If she had a knot in her mind due to this matter, Ning Xueyan might not be willing to help her when she was in trouble in the future.

After she paid her respects to Madam Dowager, Ning Xueyan was sent back. Madam Dowager asked her to spend more time to embroider her dowry. She only had two months left, so she had to embroider as much as possible. For this reason, Madam Dowager also sent several female embroiderers from the embroidery workshop to Ning Xueyan. If there were some good embroidery threads, she would also send them to Ning Xueyan.

“Madam Dowager, take it easy. The Fifth Young Lady will remember your kindness. Because of her marriage, the Third Young Lady has fewer female embroiderers now. You have always treated the Third Young Lady and the Fifth Young Lady equally before.” Seeing that Madam Dowager sat there without saying a word, after the Fifth Young Lady left, Mother Qin knew what she was worried about, so she comforted her.

“Was I really wrong? If I had known that Madam Ling was such a vicious woman, I would not have let her marry into our manor.” Madam Dowager leaned against the cushion behind her and said with a sigh. She did not expect that Madam Ling would be so crazy that she dared to sacrifice herself to frame Ning Xueyan.

She was really crazy, really crazy. This vicious woman really caused a lot of trouble in Lord Protector’s Manor. She and her two daughters were vicious. All of them were shameful.

“It is not your fault, Madam Dowager. Marquis wanted his own way. If it were not for Marquis, how could you abandon your niece? We should blame Madam Ling for being vicious. She did such a bad thing behind your back. Now she is being punished.”

Mother Qin persuaded Madam Dowager carefully. Then she secretly looked at Madam Dowager’s face. Although Mother Qin also knew that Madam Dowager was not innocent, she only spoke nice words to Madam Dowager.

Madam Dowager sighed again and said calmly, “Xianglan was too wilful at that time. I asked her not to pay attention to the other side, but she... What is done cannot be undone. What could a girl like her do? Did she think of any ideas... I persuaded her to do so many times in private, but she still did not listen to me. What happened in the end... was because she followed her bigoted course.”

“Yes, Madam Ming was very stubborn. You told her that over and over again, and I was worried about her. However, she still behaved like that. Look at what she has done now. If it were not for her... If it were not for her... the Vice Minister of Justice would not have any evidence against us now. Therefore, it would be even more impossible for Madam Ling to be the legal wife. Madam Ming, alas!”

Mother Qin sighed after Madam Dowager. She repeatedly said that Madam Ming had only herself to blame. Madam Dowager did this because she had her difficulties. She could not blame Madam Dowager. Madam Dowager was able to protect her because she cared about the family affection.

These words were what Madam Dowager liked to hear. The more she listened, the more she felt that they were reasonable. She thought that she was trying her best to protect the Lord Protector’s Manor, but Madam Ming did not appreciate it. As a result, Madam Dowager ended up like this. As an aunt and mother-in-law, Madam Dowager could do nothing.

“Madam Ming was so stubborn. She quarreled with Zu’an. The couple acted as if they were enemies. She could not blame Ning Zu’an for being disloyal to her. However, Madam Ling was vicious. When she first entered the manor, she was so delicate and pitiful that Zu’an was fooled. In the end, she even took away those things. If so, I will kill her this time.”

As her walking stick hit the ground heavily, Madam Dowager said this with hatred. Ning Zu’an gave those things to Madam Ling regardless of her objection. Thus, she had to choose Madam Ling as his legal wife later. When she thought of that, she gritted her teeth in hatred. However, her son could not be wrong. It must be someone else’s fault.

Madam Ling and Ning Zu’an had an affair before Madam Ming came to the manor, which was not like what she said. Because Madam Ming and Ning Zu’an had a quarrel, he had an affair with Madam Ling outside. Although she knew this, Mother Qin dared not say it out. Instead, she comforted Madam Dowager along with her words.

“Yes, Madam Dowager is also a kind-hearted person. Otherwise, Madam Ming would have died a long time ago. Madam Dowager always cares about the blood relationship with Madam Ming. Otherwise, with Madam Ming’s stubborn character, she would not have died.”

“Well, in a word, it is my fault. When she was a child, I, as her aunt, did not guide her. She was so wild and arrogant that she refused to listen to any advice.” At this time, Madam Dowager certainly wanted to show herself as a kind-hearted person. Madam Ming only had herself to blame.

Many things were beyond her expectation. Did she not see or turned a blind eye, or added fuel to the fire?

“Madam Ming was arrogant at that time. Even if you wanted to, you could not control her.” Mother Qin knew what Madam Dowager liked to hear, so she just followed what she said.

These words pleased Madam Dowager. She could not help revealing a slight smile on her face, but then her smile faded and her face darkened again. “What do you think we should do with Yuan’er now? Originally, Zu’an was going to ask for His Excellency’s permission to confer the Princely Heir title on Yuan’er. Now it seems that Jing’er’s status is higher than his. What should we do?”

At the thought of this, Madam Dowager had a headache these days. If something terrible happened to Madam Ling, she would not mind, even if she died. However, Ning Huaiyuan was involved in this matter. If Ning Huaiyuan could not be the legal son, he could only be ennobled as a concubine’s son. In the future, Lord Protector’s Manor would get along in the name of a concubine’s son. It was a shameful thing for Lord Protector’s Manor.

Recently, the Lord Protector’s Manor had experienced many shameful things. However, this shameful thing would forever be kept in the records of the aristocratic family and become a stain. As soon as Madam Dowager thought of this, she wanted to tear Madam Ling up. How could there be such a stupid woman? How could she not consider her children before doing anything?

“Madam Dowager, Xia Manor sent people to say that Eldest Young Lady is jealous by nature and she can’t tolerate the Second Young Lady.” Mother Qin had forgotten about it, after talking hypocritically to Madam Dowager for a while. At this time, when the Eldest Young Master was mentioned, she suddenly remembered this matter and said this to Madam Dowager.

“It is just because something happened to our manor that Xia Manor said that. Why did they not say this before? What’s more, the Second Young Lady is mean. It is necessary for the Eldest Young Lady, as her elder sister, to punish her. Is Xia Manor even going to meddle in such things?”

Now when Madam Dowager mentioned Ning Yuling, she felt disgusted. She only wished that she would never hear her name again.

Hearing Madam Dowager saying that the competition between the wife and the concubine of Xia Manor was like a competition between sisters, Mother Qin could not help feeling that she had nothing to say, even though she had always been flattering Madam Dowager. It was so unreasonable. No matter whether the Eldest Young Lady and the Second Young Lady were sisters or not in the past, they had married into the same family. Now they had married the same person, so they had to treat each other as the wife and the concubine.

How could it be that the older sister should teach her younger sister a lesson? But of course, Mother Qin did not dare to say that. Besides, it showed that the two Young Ladies were foolish. The manor was in general turmoil. Their biological mother, as the legal wife, had been toppled. However, they did not cooperate, but continued to fight against each other.

“As for Xia Manor, you do not have to mind them. As the saying goes, “a married daughter — spilt water. The Eldest Young Lady married into Xia Manor for a reason. If we can’t get any benefits, then neither can the Xia Manor. If they really want to make things difficult for us, they will find themselves in serious trouble, due to the event in the Cloud Reflection Courtyard.”

Thinking of the butterfly pattern, Madam Dowager was shocked. She felt that things were not going well. If there was a butterfly pattern, it was not something that the Lord Protector’s Manor could suppress easily. Now the Lord Protector’s Manor and Xia Manor were like two grasshoppers tied to the same rope. No one could escape, and no one could abandon the other side.

“Yes, I understand.” Mother Qin nodded and said, “What should we do with the Eldest Young Master?” This was the focus of the conversation between Madam Dowager and her today, so she changed the topic carefully.