Chapter 560   Panicky Again and Again

Commandery Princess Xianyun sat in the room of the Pear Flower Garden with a gentle smile, waiting for Ning Xueyan’s return. Ostensibly, she behaved gracefully and smiled lightly while chatting casually with Lanning with a teacup in her hand. Of course, what she asked about was Ning Xueyan’s daily life. She orally cared about her living from time to time and instructed that if anything was needed here, they should go and tell her.

As soon as she finished talking, Ning Xueyan walked in with Qingyu.

When she saw that Ning Xueyan frowned slightly with depression in her heart although she looked calm and Qingyu was behind her with an angry face, she knew very well what had happened but pretended to show that she knew nothing and said with a smile, “Sister Ning, I was bored staying in my place, so I came here to bother you. I hope you forgive me.”

“Princess, you are so courteous. Please sit down.” Ning Xueyan sat down and asked Lanning to renew Commandery Princess Xianyun’s tea when she found that the tea in the princess’s hand did not have much hot steam.

Commandery Princess Xianyun received the teacup and drank the tea. When she looked up, her eyes were a little red. “Sister Ning, I’m sorry about your suffering from injustice. I was so... useless, and then you lost so much face.”

She said these words quite implicitly. Coupled with her current look, she seemed to be reproaching herself.

“What are you talking about, princess? This... this has nothing to do with you. It is I who didn’t manage my courtyard well so that a servant told tales here and there, so I need to thank you for helping me punish her,” Ning Xueyan bit her lips and said, with her voice being a bit dismal.

Apparently, she was ashamed and sad because a maid who did menial jobs told others that Ao Chenyi was angry last night and smashed two vases granted by the palace while venting his anger.

No matter who was disliked by her husband and this fact was spread, she would not be able to bear it because it was so shameful. Naturally, Ning Xueyan was gloomy.

Of course, not many people knew this in the beginning, but when the princess punished the maid by forcing her to kneel at the door of the courtyard for such a long time, then the whole mansion probably learned it. No doubt, this was one of her aims. With so much face lost, Ning Xueyan would naturally go out and take a walk.

The princess heard that Ning Xueyan did have this habit.

“Let me stop it. Anyway, it was I, your elder sister, who was incapable and couldn’t deal with things in Prince Yi’s Manor, and you got harmed... Alas, that’s why those nameless concubines have been trying to bully us. Previously in my Great Wisdom Garden, some of those who knew nothing about worldly affairs even came to snoop and make jokes, taking us not seriously at all.”

Commandery Princess Xianyun heaved a deep sigh and rubbed her eyes with her handkerchief, saying, “I don’t know what the prince thinks. Sister, you are as nice as jade, but he doesn’t love you. Instead, he goes to love the bitch who is nothing and doesn’t have a title. And County Princess Yuanyun was even harmed previously.”

“County Princess Yuanyun?” Ning Xueyan asked in a slight shock after flapping her eyelashes twice.

“Sister Ning, I’m afraid you still don’t know about it! At that time, the emperor wanted to grant marriage by issuing an imperial edict, and County Princess Yuanyun was one of the chosen consorts. Then, Third Prince and these Princely Heirs invited the prince, me, Commandery Princess Muling, County Princess Yuanyun, and Commandery Princess Mingya to a banquet, and the prince brought the woman with him. Later, no one knew what happened and County Princess Yuanyun pushed the woman so that she fell to the ground.”

“After that, County Princess Yuanyun was not among the consorts inexplicably and was then driven out of the capital, so this marriage was postponed. It is said that those who are like her will have to marry the local slightly rich men at most and can’t return to the capital anymore. She was such a noble lady of an aristocratic family, but since she was careless and touched that woman...”

Commandery Princess Xianyun shook her head with a look that she felt it hard to continue the talk and also heaved a sigh heavily.

Indeed, these words were used to reflect Ning Xueyan’s plight that appeared just now. Right, her maid did push the favored concubine! When she was in anger, such behavior was inevitable. Of course, Ning Xueyan was sure that even if that push had not happened, the veiled lady would have come over, thrown herself at her, and fallen the same.

Therefore, no matter what, Ning Xueyan was sure to “offend” the favored concubine of Ao Chenyi. Her status was not low, but compared with County Princess who had a title conferred upon by the emperor, she was a little inferior. Since County Princess Yuanyun had to marry in a remote area because of this favored concubine and could no longer come back to the capital in her whole life, then what about Ning Xueyan...

After hearing Commandery Princess Xianyun’s words and recalling the words said earlier, Ning Xueyan learned her scheme — she wanted to force her to have to deal with the favored concubine of Ao Chenyi.

When things had reached this point, if she wanted to continue to stay in the mansion, then she had to deal with the favored concubine first; otherwise, if the favored concubine went to cry and complain in front of Ao Chenyi, she, the unfavored consort, would probably have to live in this small courtyard until her death day. Of course, Ao Chenyi, a man of special character, was likely to do it even more mercilessly.

He was likely to send her back to Lord Protector’s Manor with the reason that she was evil and envious. If the consort Ning Xueyan with such a reputation was sent back to her parents’ home, she would have no choice but to die. Lord Protector’s Manor was bound to kill her with the reason “You should commit suicide to redeem your crime”. This would be a way to protect the honor of Lord Protector’s Manor and give Prince Yi’s Manor an explanation.

Such things were not rarely seen in the circle of the aristocratic families in the capital.

In such a way, she was weeded off, and so was Ao Chenyi’s favored concubine.

“County Princess Yuanyun has been reduced to such an end,” Ning Xueyan mumbled and looked a bit pale as if she was shocked.

Seeing this, Commandery Princess Xianyun felt that Ning Xueyan was pretending to keep calm and thought that she was quite anxious and panicky this time. Surely, she continued to put salt on her wound, saying, “Right, if I had run into the woman accidentally at that time, I would probably not be in the mansion now, and I would have been banished to a remote corner. The prince is partial.”

“Partial? So, Commandery Princess Xianyun wants to make him become fair and just. Naturally, she needs to sacrifice the roadblock like me.” She lowered her long eyelashes, and her eyes became quite cold. “Today Commandery Princess Xianyun didn’t even hesitate to let her sister do such a performance, for she just wanted to force me to have to deal with the ‘favored concubine.’”

“I thought that Princess Xianyun would wait for a while before taking action. Anyway, we have just been in Prince Yi’s Manor for a few days as married women. Now it seems that she was forced by Heng Yuwan’s matter, which made her speed up her move when she was fidgety. And she hoped to remove the roadblock like me and instantly become the only mistress of Prince Yi’s Manor.”

Ning Xueyan was quite clear about this idea of Commandery Princess Xianyun. Previously, she gave Ning Xueyan the scented tea because she was afraid that Ning Xueyan would get pregnant before her. Now she simply wanted to drive Ning Xueyan away. Once this was done, she would be able to make sure that her child was Ao Chenyi’s only child, so that Lord Peace’s Manor and she herself could have a flourishing future when she became the empress of the kingdom.

In the beginning, Ning Xueyan had no connection to such things, but since she agreed to make a deal with Ao Chenyi that she would come to the backyard of Prince Yi’s Manor to help him, she and the princess had been destined to confront each other due to their different aims.

It used to be like this when she and the prince had a deal. Now when the two of them were soul mates, it was even more so, of course. No matter what, Ning Xueyan stood in line with Ao Chenyi, so she was even more unwilling to let Commandery Princess Xianyun stir up trouble in Prince Yi’s Manor.

Since their talk had come to this point, Ning Xueyan simply looked up at Commandery Princess Xianyun and said directly, “Princess, I met that favored concubine just now. I pushed her, and she fell.”

“What? You... you touched her just now and pushed her!” Commandery Princess Xianyun changed her expression and almost stood up in shock.

“Yes, it happened just now. When I went out to walk in a bad mood, I met her, who made impertinent remarks,” Ning Xueyan said quite at a loss, with her hand supporting her head.

“You... you need to go and apologize to the prince hurriedly, hurriedly... go before it is too late. If the prince hears the woman’s slander, you... you are done.” Commandery Princess Xianyun said in a panic. As she spoke, she stood up and pulled Ning Xueyan up, showing that she was worried and panicky about her situation.

“Princess, it is that woman who swore at my mistress first, speaking ill of her,” Qingyu couldn’t help but come out and said indignantly.

“You were so stupid! Even if she said something unpleasant, just let her say it, and you wouldn’t get your flesh missing. After all, if she is in the mansion, the two of us can’t be counted as mistresses. If you still don’t go to the prince, maybe he will simply send someone to take you away.”

Commandery Princess Xianyun stamped her feet anxiously, showing that she was disappointed.

“She... she is not so vicious, is she?” Ning Xueyan still looked hesitant.

“She is! Now the situation is that either you or she will die. She has been finding fault with us two in the dark. No matter what, we were married with the emperor’s edicts and we have just been married for just a few days, so she can’t deal with us at will in whatever condition, but you pushed her just now. This... this is quite eventful. We know the prince’s temper. If he is angry, he is likely to kill you. Do you really think Lord Protector’s Manor will set itself against the prince for you?”

Commandery Princess Xianyun was trying to say more frightening things. It seemed that if Ning Xueyan did not think of a countermeasure now, maybe Ao Chenyi was coming here with a sword right away and would kill Ning Xueyan with one swing.

Commandery Princess Xianyun and Ning Xueyan all knew that it was a joke to expect Lord Protector’s Manor to set itself against Prince Yi because of her.

Commandery Princess Xianyun had already heard Ning Qingshan speak of Ning Xueyan’s status in Lord Protector’s Manor. The two of them had exchanged messages secretly, so the princess surely knew that Ning Xueyan was not favored there. Neither Madam Dowager nor Ning Zu’an had ever taken her seriously. It used to be like this, and it was still like this now. What they only cared about was that she was a consort.

It meant that if Ning Xueyan had not been a consort, her life would not have been as good as that of a maid or servant in Lord Protector’s Manor.

Undoubtedly, what Ning Qingshan said was a little exaggerated, but Commandery Princess Xianyun still could find from her words how Ning Xueyan had been poorly treated in Lord Protector’s Manor. The princess mentioned the possibility that Lord Protector’s Manor would set itself against Prince Yi, and her purpose was to hurt Ning Xueyan’s feelings.

“No matter how calm Ning Xueyan is, can she, who has been wounded again and again by my words, still deal with problems with a clear mind?” Commandery Princess Xianyun smiled a bit with ridicule, but it then vanished in an instant. “Ning Xueyan will be manipulated by me right away...”