Chapter 430   Coercion, Tit-for-tat

“Sure enough, she is asking for something. That is why Madam Dowager treats me so kindly now. She is trying to show that we have a close relationship.” Ning Xueyan sneered in her mind, but she did not let it show on her face. She sat down where Xiangmiao’s hand indicated. Since Madam Dowager was trying to get her to sit down, she could not leave even if she wanted to. Anyway, she did not intend to go right away.

According to the rules of Lord Protector’s Manor, one should not speak while eating. Ning Xueyan had a little porridge, while Madam Dowager had already finished her breakfast. So, she put down the bowl and chopsticks in her hands, then rinsed and wiped her mouth.

The maids cleared the table and withdrew.

Xiangmiao had already sent someone to serve tea to Madam Dowager and Ning Xueyan.

Madam Dowager did not look well today. There was a light-colored cloth band on her head. She sat there with one hand supporting her head, looking ill. When she saw Ning Xueyan sitting down, she smiled kindly at her and gestured to Xiangmiao, who was standing at one side. Xiangmiao understood and took out an exquisite jewelry box.

“Xueyan, you are going to marry into Prince Yi’s Manor soon, so you will have to stay in the backyard of Prince Yi’s Manor. We are just a Lord Protector’s Manor. However, we are in such a mess because of that vicious woman Madam Ling. After this incident, your mother lost her position as the principal wife. Your life in Prince Yi’s Manor should be even harder. There is some jewelry here. You can take them with you. With this money, it will be more convenient for you if you need to do anything.”

Madam Dowager pushed the jewelry box in front of Ning Xueyan. As soon as she opened it, she found it was filled with jewelry. Each of the pieces looked exquisite, which was totally different from the jewelry that Madam Dowager had given her previously.

“Thank you, Grandmother.” Ning Xueyan turned her eyes to Madam Dowager’s face, pretending not to understand her words, and smiled.

Madam Dowager’s advice sounded interesting. It seemed that she and Madam Ling were both in the same position. Although the royal family permitted her to be the co-consort, she was not the legal wife. She wanted to tell Ning Xueyan that Madam Ling had no choice on this.

She deliberately accused Madam Ling of framing Madam Ming and toppling her from the position of the Legal Wife. However, she did not mention how she treated them at Bright Frost Garden, and how she had almost been killed by Ning Yuling several times. Madam Ling killed Madam Ming. Although Ning Zu’an said that the whole thing had been done by a maid, everyone knew that no servant would have dared do this without her master’s order.

“Madam Ling has received what she deserved. She will not be able to return to Lord Protector’s Manor, after she is sent away this time. It is all the fault of this vicious woman. As your grandmother, I hope that you and your siblings can get along well with each other. After all, we are of one blood. In the future, no matter if you marry someone or take a wife, you always hope that there will be someone to help you out, should anything happen.”

Madam Dowager put all the blame on Madam Ling, with a look of regret and exclamation, as if she really thought so. As for the matter about Ning Yuling bullying Ning Xueyan, Madam Dowager pretended that nothing happened. Then, she spoke about family affection and helping one another, indicating that no one would help her in the future, if Ning Xueyan did not care about family affection.

“Will she help me if something bad happens?” Ning Xueyan sneered in her mind. It was a bold attempt for her to get married to Prince Yi. If something terrible happened to Ao Chenyi, she was not sure if the Lord Protector’s Manor would even help her, or even agree to be dragged down with her.

“Grandmother, Madam Ling not only framed my mom, but also turned my mom from a wife into a concubine, and then killed her. My father heard what Madam Ling said, and sent a maid over, saying that the maid was the one who hurt my mom. Do you think a maid would dare to kill her master? What’s more, the ‘Peach Blossom Wine’ is costly.”

Ning Xueyan raised her head and looked at Madam Dowager. She was not Madam Ming, so she would not step back. What Madam Ling had done was not just to topple Madam Ming from the position of the Legal Wife. She knew what Madam Dowager wanted. For Ning Xueyan, the so-called gentleness would not work.

Speaking of this, Madam Dowager naturally knew about it, but at that time, no one really did investigate into it. She thought that Ning Xueyan accepted it because she did not say anything at that time. Unexpectedly, Ning Xueyan put it forward at this critical moment, which rendered Madam Dowager speechless. She stretched her neck and did not know what to say.

She did not know? That was impossible. Ning Zu’an had checked it. How could she not know anything about it? Such a big thing was related to the life and death of Madam Ming, who had the closest blood relationship with her. How could she not have asked?

She knew it. However, why did she not stand up for Madam Ming at that time? She passed the buck to a maid. How could she say that they were blood relatives? Her performance just now was a waste of time.

“No one will ever get to the bottom of the matter. But the maid was insistent. She did not confess, even though she was beaten to death. Later, she said it was because she had no choice.” Madam Dowager forced a smile and tried to change the topic. “But there is no other way. Anyway, I have to give you an explanation and avenge your mother.”

Qingrui was dead, so there was no testimony from the witness. As for what Qingrui said at that time, it did not matter. Anyway, Ning Xueyan could not prove that Madam Ling killed Madam Ming. Madam Dowager talked vaguely about this, and pretended that she did not understand Ning Xueyan’s words. She wanted to use the “hard to express it clearly” sentiment, to shirk responsibility.

A hint of fierceness flashed in Ning Xueyan’s eyes.

“Grandma, on that day, Mammy Yun, Madam Ling’s trusted older female servant, mentioned to my uncle and cousin that the ‘Intoxicating Peach Blossom’ in my mom’s body was brought in by Madam Ling. If you do not believe it, you can go to the prison to ask Mammy Yun about it.”

Mammy Yun sneaked out of the Lord Protector’s Manor at that time and thought that no one had seen her. Then she hid in her sister’s house. This time, Ning Xueyan asked Ming Feiyong to get someone to arrest her there. The facts were all there, so Mammy Yun dared not conceal the truth. Besides, on that day, she had almost been killed by Madam Ling, so she hated Madam Ling intensely. She answered all the questions.

Madam Dowager’s face darkened. She had planned to resort to using both mild and severe measures so that Ning Xueyan would agree to it. Unexpectedly, Ning Xueyan did not give way, and did not want to forgive Madam Ling. Madam Dowager thought that Ning Xueyan had no sense of appreciating favors.

“All those things about Madam Ling have passed. No matter what she has done, she is being punished now. No matter how wrong she is, she is still your elder. What’s more, what an older female servant says, can’t prove anything. You do not need to mention these things anymore. After all, you are the Young Lady of Lord Protector’s Manor. If something bad happens to the Lord Protector’s Manor, you will not have it any better.” Madam Dowager threatened, shaking her hands with a gloomy face and rolling her eyes.

As mild measures did not work, Madam Dowager took stern measures, saying that Madam Ling was her elder. Xueyan’s eyes were cold. How could she mention bonds of kinship? How could she talk about being the closest relative? As expected, they were the most selfish excuses. When she did not need you, Madam Dowager would not care whether you were alive or dead. And when she needed you, she would tell you about blood ties, as if she cared more about you than anyone else.

It was rare to find such a selfish person. But in the Lord Protector’s Manor, there were many people like her. One was more vicious and thick-skinned than the other.

“Grandmother, an imperial physician in Prince Yi’s Manor diagnosed that my mother was poisoned by ‘Intoxicating Peach Blossom’ that day. If you don’t believe me, you can go to Prince Yi’s Manor to ask for confirmation.” Ning Xueyan looked down, with her long eyelashes fluttering, and the coldness in her eyes disappeared.

If she went to Prince Yi’s Manor to seek confirmation, that would blow up the affair. Madam Ling framed Madam Ming and forced Madam Ming to give up her position as the legal wife. Because his favorite concubine toppled his legal wife, Ning Zu’an was impeached by the censor-in-chief, and he could not even go to court these two days. If the murder of his wife was brought up again, Ning Zu’an’s official position would come to an end, and he might not even be able to keep the title of Lord Protector.

Regarding this, Madam Dowager would not dare to stir up trouble, neither would she dare to confirm it.

“Xueyan, are you going to stir up trouble? Do you know that you are still a Young Lady of the Lord Protector’s Manor? Our interests are closely linked. If you do not have the Lord Protector’s Manor, do you think you can marry into Prince Yi’s Manor?” Madam Dowager’s face darkened, and her eyes were cold. She stared at Ning Xueyan fiercely.

“Grandmother, don’t worry. I will persuade my uncle. I will not forget that I am a Young Lady of the Lord Protector’s Manor, let alone that the Lord Protector’s Manor and I are closely entwined.” This time, Ning Xueyan did not refute her. She even showed a faint smile on her face. Of course, Madam Dowager did not notice the coldness behind her smile.

If what had happened to Madam Ming was revealed, Madam Ling would only pay for a life with a life. However, what she wanted was to make her suffer a fate worse than death.

When all that she was going after was destroyed, she believed that Madam Ling would think that death was the best relief.

It was not appropriate for her to reveal everything now. In that case, both Ning Zu’an and the entire Lord Protector’s Manor would not meet a good end. Even if she wanted to avenge her biological mother, there would be people who thought that she was being unfilial to her biological father, and her reputation would be ruined.

The bead curtain in Madam Dowager’s inner room shook as if it had been blown by a breeze. Obviously, there was no breeze in Madam Dowager’s room, but Ning Xueyan’s attention was focused on Madam Dowager, so she did not see it. Lanning, who was standing aside, looked at the shaking bead curtain quietly, and shifted her attention.

“Does your uncle know about this?” Although Madam Dowager felt a little better because of Ning Xueyan’s euphemistic words, her face still looked bad, when she thought about it.

“Yes, it was my uncle who told me these things. However, he can’t make up his mind because you and I are here.” Seeing this, Ning Xueyan opened her mouth again. She showed that Ming Feiyong had deliberately concealed Madam Ling’s matter, because of Madam Dowager and Ning Xueyan.

Of course, it meant that Ming Feiyong was still giving consideration to Madam Dowager.

For a while, the room became quiet. Madam Dowager’s face turned green and pale, and her eyebrows were tightly knitted in a frown. She looked at Ning Xueyan suspiciously. If Ming Feiyong knew that Madam Ling had murdered Madam Ming, Madam Dowager could not state that Ning Huaiyuan was adopted by Madam Ming, as it would not work.

This was not a simple case of framing Madam Ming to topple her from the position of the main wife. The murderer of her mother was absolutely irreconcilable. If she really wanted to force Ning Xueyan, maybe she would be pushed too hard. If so, Ming Feiyong would reveal the truth. An older female servant might not be able to prove anything, but if the imperial physician of Prince Yi’s Manor was the witness, it would be true evidence.