Chapter 49
Ning Yuling was ignored and felt embarrassed for a while. When she saw Honored Consort Ya’s unhappy face, she realized that she was disgusted. So she quietly stepped back and stared at Ning Xueyan fiercely when she came back. When passing through Ning Xueyan, she whispered angrily, "Did you do that, little bitch?"
Ning Xueyan gave her a faint smile, but didn’t answer her question. She looked at Madam Dowager’s face and ignored Ning Yuling directly, which made Ning Yuling angry. However, she dared not indulge in front of so many people.
The Forth Prince’s imperial physician came quickly. Listening to the order of the Honored Consort Ya, he went to examine the dregs and said, "Yes, there’s one harmful medicine material!"
Ning Yuling stiffened and could hardly believe what she heard. She unconsciously looked at the servant behind her again. "Did I misunderstand just now? Did she mean that there really is something wrong with the medicine? Did she want to tell me that my guess is right?" Ning Yuling was tense and restless, thinking in mind.
Seeing Ning Yuling’s tense and restless look, Madam Dowager was furious. It seemed that Madam Ling really had added one harmful medicine material into her tonics. She recalled what had happened in the mourning hall. At that time, she found that someone was going to report to Madam Ling’s person. Combining the two matters, Madam Dowager realized that Madam Ling not only planted people in her place but also poisoned her.
Madam Dowager could hardly contain her anger.
"Grandma… How could it be? Did… did the servants mistake it? My mother has always been responsible. It’s impossible that she delivered the wrong medicine." Ning Xueyan suddenly stood up, as if she was frightened. She stepped forward. It seemed that she wanted to check in person. But after a few steps, she teetered with amaze and scare on her face.
It seemed that she was incoherent because of over-fright. But her words unconsciously linked Madam Ling and Madam Dowager’s medicine. Ning Yuling had said that before. So it wasn’t abrupt that she said that again. On the contrary, it made people feel that it must be true since Madam Ling’s own daughter said that.
This was a family affair of the Lord Protector’s Manor. So no one said something now even though they had guessed it was Lord Protector’s wife, Madam Ling, who did that. Madam Dowager was extremely angry and didn’t want to stay any longer. She rushed to say goodbye to the Honored Consort Ya and returned with Ning Yuling and Ning Xueyan.
As soon as she entered the room and sat down on the couch, Madam Dowager slapped the table heavily, pointed to the older female servant standing behind Ning Yuling, and scolded, "Kneel down!"
Madam Dowager saw clearly that this older female servant had been making eye contact with Ning Yuling just now. She must know the truth. Thinking that she had been poisoned by Madam Ling, Madam Dowager was furious. In order to maintain the face of Lord Protector’s Manor, Madam Dowager had controlled her anger in front of Honored Consort Ya.
"I, I…" The older female servant didn’t expect the Madam Dowager to blame her as soon as they came back. She immediately knelt down and trembled, not knowing how she made Madam Dowager angry. "Madam Dowager, I don’t know. It really has nothing to do with me!"
"Huanlan, you say!" Madam Dowager said with anger.
Huanlan, who had been informed earlier, was also frightened to tears. At this time, she hurried to explain when Madam Dowager asked her. "Madam Dowager, the medicines are taken from Manager Zhang. When I get them, I’ll carefully seal them up. When we use them, I’ll take them out with other maids. Madam Dowager, if you don’t believe it, you can ask the servants who guard the pharmacy."
Huanlan was afraid to be involved in this matter, so she explained it hurriedly.
Mother Zhang, the manager of the backyard, was Madam Ling’s person.
Ning Xueyan moved back silently and let Ning Yuling’s older female servant expose to Huanlan. Huanlan was worried that she couldn’t explain clearly. Her eyes suddenly brightened when she saw Ning
Huanlan originally didn’t think of this matter. But she suddenly remembered when she saw the older female servant.
The older female servant didn’t expect that. She was frightened and could not even speak fluently for a moment. "Madam Dowager, Second Young Lady was… uncomfortable… I, I wanted to nurse her health, so…"
"She was uncomfortable? Why?" Madam Dowager snapped.
Ning Yuling wasn’t uncomfortable at all. She thought that what had happened yesterday would let the Honored Consort Ya and the Third Prince feel dissatisfied, so she listened to a maid’s suggestion. She wanted to get some medicine to take and deliberately pretended that she was uncomfortable yesterday so that she did those foolish things.
But the older female servant couldn’t say that now.
Therefore, after listening to Madam Dowager’s words, this older female servant looked paler and almost collapsed to the ground. She was Madam Ling’s henchman and was arranged to help Ning Yuling. Usually, Ning Yuling relied on her very much. But such a serious thing had happened, Ning Yuling wouldn’t talk for her. Looking at Madam Dowager’s angry face, Ning Yuling suddenly became sober.
Her grandmother’s medicine was poisoned, which seemed to be related to her mother. If she still talked for this older female servant, her grandmother would be more suspicious of her mother!
Therefore, she could never save this older female servant!
Not only could she not be saved, but also she needed to be punished severely. In this way, her grandmother’s suspicion would be dispelled.
"You, how can you do that? I always respect my grandmother. You dared to poison her. Did you forget why my mother sent you to me?" Ning Yuling came forward and heavily slapped the older female servant. Blood immediately appearing on her face.
She accentuated the word "mother" deliberately.
Listening to Ning Yuling’s words, the older female servant trembled all over. She clearly knew how vicious Madam Ling was. If she said that it was Madam Ling’s order, her whole family would be murdered by Madam Ling. Moreover, Madam Ling had born a son for Lord Protector. So whatever she said now was useless. She had to admit it now.
The older female servant gritted her teeth and kowtowed at Madam Dowager, crying loudly, "Madam Dowager, please spare me. I did that. Huanlan and I are not in harmony. So I added another medicine material in your medicine. I didn’t mean to harm you. I just wanted Huanlan to be punished. Madam Dowager, forgive me. This was originally the unhappiness between Huanlan and me. I didn’t expect to involve you."
"She dared to murder the master. Such an evil servant should be beaten to death. Grandma. Do you think so?" Ning Yuling’s suggested with indignation.
"Grandma, we’re in the temple, I’m afraid…" Ning Xueyan suddenly said.
Madam Dowager then remembered that this was the Cold Mountain Temple. It wasn’t suitable to kill people directly here. But she was unwilling to let this older female servant go. She thought for a while and came with an idea.
"Here, send her back and let Madam Ling find out who wanted to kill me! Let her execute this older female servant as a warning to others!" Madam Dowager snapped with fierce. Although this older female servant’s words were reasonable, Madam Dowager still didn’t believe her. She suspected that Madam Ling was involved in this matter. She already didn’t believe Madam Ling, so she thought everything seemed possible.
This older female servant would be sent to Madam Ling to be executed as a warning to others. Madam Dowager would see who dared to follow Madam Ling in the future.
The older female servant was gagged and taken away. Madam Dowager was still angry and didn’t want to pay attention to Ning Yuling and Ning Xueyan. She waved her hand and let them go.
Ning Xueyan returned to the courtyard with Qingyu and Lanning had been waiting for them in the courtyard. Then the three closed the door and went into the house together.
Ning Xueyan’s courtyard was in a remote place and few people came here.
"Young Lady, how do you know that Second Young Lady’s maid would listen to us and persuade the Second Young Lady to ask for the medicine from the Madam Dowager?" Thinking about what happened just now, Qingyu couldn’t help asking when there were no outsiders around.
Last night, she and Lanning made a special trip to Ning Yuling’s place. When they saw two of Ning Yuling’s maids coming, they deliberately talked about Ning Yuling’s scandal and exaggerated it and said Ning Yuling was so foolish. Then they joked that if the Second Young Lady was smart enough, she would surely think of pretending to be ill to account for her foolish behaviors.
As long as she got some medicine to take and spread a rumor that she was so uncomfortable that she did such stupid things yesterday, maybe her reputation would be saved.
Qingyu had thought that those words would be useless. She didn’t expect it to have a great effect. Qingyu was surprised at her Young Lady’s cleverness.
Ning Xueyan took the tea from Lanning, drank it, and smiled. "Yesterday many things happened. Ning Yuling was impulsive at that time, then she would certainly want to remedy her reputation. When she heard the maid’s suggestion, how could she not accept? It was late last night. So asking for medicine from Madam Dowager before others getting up this morning was better. When Honored Consort Ya asks about it, she could explain."
Ning Yuling was easy to be impulsive but was extremely poisonous when she calmed down. In Ning Xueyan’s memory, she had been framed by Ning Yuling for many times and finally didn’t dare to go out of the Bright Frost Garden because of Ning Yuling. This time she wiped out one of Ning Yuling’s important helpers. Then, she would revenge on Ning Yuling step by step.
Didn’t she want to marry the Third Prince? Unfortunately, the Third Prince didn’t like her. But that Consort Dowager of the Commandery Prince Li’s Manor seemed to be satisfied with her. If Ning Yuling married this Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li, it would be a good thing. That Princely Heir was a famous libertine, and Ning Yuling was a shrew. They suited each other.
"Are you better now, Lanning?" Ning Xueyan looked back at Lanning, who had been standing beside her with a faint smile. She knew that Lanning was smarter than Qingyu, so she asked at the moment.
"Young Lady, what can I do for you? The injury isn’t serious. I feel much better after taking medicine." Lanning nodded and said with a smile, knowing Ning Xueyan’s meaning. Actually, she was hit seriously yesterday. Luckily, she was treated in time. The imperial physician came timely and the medicine she took was good. Although she still felt a little uncomfortable, she was much better today.