Chapter 477   A Dispute and Competition among Sisters

As expected, when Third Prince Ao Mingyu arrived, Madam Dowager asked a servant to the Bright Frost Garden to summon Ning Xueyan.

Madam Dowager’s so-called manners and rules were always vulnerable in front of the royal family members. Fortunately, Ning Xueyan did want to go there today, so after changing a dress, she went there with Lanning from the Bright Frost Garden. Unexpectedly, she met Ning Lingyun on the way.

Seeing Ning Xueyan coming, Ning Lingyun stopped at once and called her gently, “Are you also going to grandma, Fifth Sister?”

There seemed to be some nervousness and anticipation on her face, and she seemed to want to go together with Ning Xueyan very much, but she was afraid that Ning Xueyan would not want to.

Compared with her previous image, Ning Lingyun’s current image was indeed something reborn. The delicate and timid Ning Lingyun in front of her was completely different from the one in her memory—she was tart and mean, only tried to rely on the powerful Madam Ling, and followed Ning Yuling when she was free, working with her to persecute Ning Xueyan. But it was unclear when that person had disappeared.

Seen from her appearance, Ning Lingyun really didn’t have her previous image now, and she had timidity in her eyes as if she was timid and pitiful and did not dare to take the lead in doing anything, but was that the real situation?

The saying goes: You can’t teach a crab to walk straight.

Moreover, was the change from one person to another a real change or a just show prepared for the public?

That Concubine Xu was different from Junior Concubine Xu who had died. Since she could give birth to a daughter under the nose of Madam Ling and could also bring her up, it meant a kind of ability. Previously, Ning Zu’an got new favorites, Concubine Ma and Junior Concubine Xu, but the two women died at last. In contrast, Concubine Xu always held her position and was still alive.

She seemed to show respect and politeness to everyone, and she seemed to smile at and be kind to everyone...

“Are you also going to our grandma, Fourth Sister? Then let us go!” Ning Xueyan smiled lightly and said softly.

Hearing Ning Xueyan’s invitation, Ning Lingyun had a relaxed smile and replied as she nodded, “Okay, let me go with you, Fifth Sister.”

In fact, she made the look that she had great relief and was afraid that Ning Xueyan would be unwilling a little exaggerated, so that people felt uncomfortable from the bottom of their heart. As if she had been used to being bullied by others, she would even bow her head when she looked at others, cautious and panicky.

Ning Xueyan glanced at Ning Lingyun’s face silently and saw that she had made her face charming and wore light yellow clothes, which were not showy and even made her look tender and delicate. Among her several sisters, she was not beautiful, but she was still a rare beauty. Coupled with her delicate state, she was very attractive.

Sure enough, no one was easy to deal with, but she did not want to become a stepping stone for someone’s plan.

The two remained quite silent while walking down the following part of the path. Ning Lingyun seemed to have something to say, but when she saw Ning Xueyan’s imperturbable face every time, she could not say it and blinked twice because she was afraid of Ning Xueyan. Then, she opened her mouth twice, but she still closed it at last.

“Why are you all here, Fifth Sister, Fourth Sister? Let us go!” Ning Qingshan appeared at the fork, and she was also dressed up. Wearing a peacock blue dress, she looked beautiful and brilliant. Since she was beautiful, she became more shining after dressing herself up.

But her leg was injured, so she took her maid Caifen as her stick, but her paces looked a bit stiff as she walked.

Initially, Ning Qingshan mainly focused on recuperation, but when she heard that Third Prince had arrived, she could not rest anymore. Of course, Madam Dowager had also specially invited her to go. Naturally, she dressed herself up carefully, but she had not recovered from her injury. Although she was mainly supported by Caifen, she had to maintain her image along the way, so she had a sweat on her forehead.

“Why are you also here, Third Sister? Let me help you.” Seeing Ning Qingshan, Ning Lingyun immediately went to her enthusiastically, wanting to support her from the other side.

“Thanks for your kindness, Fourth Sister. But if you support me like this, I will look more like a disabled woman!” Ning Qingshan smiled, but there was a trace of anger in her eyes. Since she wanted to look a little normal, she only asked Caifen to support her because she would not look seriously injured in this way.

If two people supported her, she would look like someone who was seriously injured and was dying, let alone her image. As long as Ning Qingshan remembered that her image would be ruined if Ning Lingyun supported her, she would look a little unhappy, so she spoke impolitely.

“Yes, Third Sister, it’s my fault. I thought... I thought that you were seriously injured and needed someone to help you.” Hearing Ning Qingshan’s words, Ning Lingyun was aggrieved and stopped, looking at Ning Qingshan tearfully. It seemed that she had been bullied, and her eyes had immediately turned red.

Seeing that look, Ning Xueyan would really think that Ning Lingyun had been seriously bullied by Ning Qingshan if she was not present. Blinking her watery eyes, she did not advance and even took two steps back. Then, she turned around and seemed to say something to Lanning as if she did not notice their situation at all.

Then a light smile appeared at her stunning mouth. No matter what the two people in front of her were going to do, she did not want to get herself involved.

“What do you mean, Fourth Sister? Is it that I bully you if I don’t let you help me?” Ning Qingshan said angrily as she saw the aggrieved look of Ning Lingyun. Nothing went smoothly when she confronted Ning Xueyan these days. Now, even Ning Lingyun wanted to step on her, so how could she not get angry?

“Third Sister, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I... I did not know you didn’t want me to touch you, and I... I won’t do it again.” Slightly reprimanded, Ning Lingyun became sadder and shook her head vigorously, her tears running down drop by drop.

“Ning Lingyun is indeed crying with great grievances!” Ning Xueyan thought affirmatively. “She is changing her way!”

“Fourth Sister, you don’t have to say sorry, but it’s just inconvenient for me to let you help me, and you seem to look like I have bulled you.” Ning Qingshan’s face had turned cold. She was in a bad mood, so how could she have patience? So, as she spoke, she did not look at Ning Lingyun anymore. Turning around, she took steps forward.

Ning Xueyan didn’t seem to notice what was happening here. She talked to Lanning while walking forward, heading for Madam Dowager’s Auspicious Fortune Hall.

Ning Lingyun was in tears, looking at Ning Xueyan walk past her pathetically, and then the tears in her eyes fell drop by drop. Being sad, she looked as pathetic as one could imagine and stared at Ning Xueyan with anticipation, but Ning Xueyan seemed not to see her. She kept turning around to chat with Lanning and did not notice Ning Lingyun standing on the roadside at all.

Seeing that Ning Xueyan walked past her brazenly, Ning Lingyun realized that Ning Xueyan was truly not going to care about her, so she did not dare to make any more trouble. After wiping her tears, she followed Ning Xueyan and left for their grandmother’s place with her.

In Madam Dowager’s room, Third Prince Ao Mingyu was sitting on the main seat, but when he came to the Lord Protector’s Manor previously, he always claimed that he was young and would only take a less important seat, but this time, he went straight to the seat of honor even without showing empty courtesy.

Madam Dowager and Ning Zu’an kept him company on the side. Ning Huaiyuan sat on the right-hand seat of Ning Zu’an and bowed his head slightly, and no one knew what he was thinking. Ning Xueyan glanced at him and moved quietly forward to salute Madam Dowager and Ning Zu’an and then Third prince Ao Mingyu.

After the salute, Third Prince waved his hand and Ning Xueyan retired with regular manners, and a maid had already carried a brocade-covered stool to her and let her sit down.

Ning Qingshan came a little earlier than her. At this time, she had already finished saluting and occupied Ning Xueyan’s left-hand seat. When she saw Ning Xueyan coming, she smiled at her gently, and no trace of her anger that appeared just now could be seen.

Ning Lingyun was the last to arrive. After making her salute, she sat down on the right-hand seat of Ning Xueyan. Since she had just cried, her eyes were still red. Coupled with a pitiful look, she was very eye-catching. Seeing the tear marks at the corners of her eyes, Madam Dowager was displeased and gave her a fierce glance. Today she invited Third Prince to come for a serious business, not for the little dispute of girls.

When she sensed the anger of Madam Dowager, Ning Lingyun bowed her head so low that her forehead almost touched the ground and twisted her handkerchief, becoming more afraid of seeing others. Truly, she was quite pathetic!

Ao Mingyu couldn’t help but take one more look at the concubine’s daughter of the Lord Protector’s Manor. As a matter of fact, he had a little impression of her. When he was once with Marquis of Ping’an, he saw that Ning Lingyun was very arrogant and almost made Ning Xueyan fall with her face down. He remembered that he didn’t like this concubine’s daughter very much at that time.

“Why is she like this now?”

He turned his thoughtful eyes from Ning Qingshan to Ning Xueyan, then to Ning Lingyun, and finally to Ning Xueyan again. After his eyes twitched twice slightly, he withdrew his gaze and became calm.

“Your Highness, I invited you to come here today because I wanted you to appreciate the peonies in my garden, but the peonies were... by Prince Yi, so you had a wasted trip.” Ning Qingshan, who had already received the hint of Madam Dowager, now apologized with a smile, but she had light grievances in her eyes, so anyone who knew this matter knew that Ning Qingshan had suffered injustice indeed.

Ning Xueyan kept silent and bowed her head like Ning Lingyun. “Anyway, that was not done by me, and let me see what they will do next.”

“My uncle doesn’t like peonies, and you suffered indeed!” Ao Mingyu said gently. Prince Yi always behaved very arrogantly. Now everyone knew that he had been to the Lord Protector’s Manor. Remembering that Prince Yi slapped him one time in front of Ning Xueyan before, he couldn’t help but have some fierceness in his eyes.

He had always been the noblest prince, and he had never suffered such humiliation.

“She didn’t really suffer from grievances. Prince Yi also especially gave a reward to my third granddaughter, and it is also a reward to those peonies,” Madam Dowager said smilingly. Then, she clapped her hands, and Mother Qin immediately brought a tray with a beautiful decorative box on it. By only seeing the exquisite box, anyone could know how precious the item in the box was.

Ning Xueyan smiled. Before now, she had learned this from Xinmei.

Ao Mingyu looked a little unhappy, and the veins on his forehead seemed to bulge a bit. Ao Chenyi implied the thing that he had done to Ning Xueyan, so after he slapped him, he also went to the garden of Ning Qingshan and gave Ning Qingshan an ornament, so how could Ao Mingyu not be angry?

This was different from what happened at the Cold Mountain Temple, for those few people who knew it were all his henchmen. If this news was spread, not only would Ning Qingshan be ashamed, but he would also completely lose face...