Chapter 50
There were few people who could help Ning Xueyan and everyone had to bear more responsibilities. Lanning knew this situation very well, so she said she was okay.
"You and Qingyu go out for a stroll in the afternoon. As soon as you see the maids of other manors, you talk to them. During the conversation, you only say that Ning Yuling is beautiful and virtuous." Ning Xueyan leisurely said with a smile.
"Many Childe and Young Ladies saw what happened yesterday. No one will believe us!" Qingyu blinked her eyes and couldn’t understand Ning Xueyan’s meaning for a moment, asking in perplexity. At that time, more than one Chile was present and saw what Ning Yuling did. Who would believe Ning Yuling was virtuous?
"Those Chiles who were present yesterday know that Ning Yuling isn’t virtuous. But not all Childes were present yesterday. They might believe what we’ll say." Ning Xueyan smiled and jade-like eyes circled, mockery in her eyes.
She didn’t know how many people saw it yesterday, but she knew that the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li was absent!
It was said that this Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li was unhappy without women. It was impossible for him to stay quietly in the Cold Mountain Temple. Even though the Consort Dowager of Commandery Prince Li’s Manor had come, this Princely Heir would only appear at the end. Tomorrow, he would come and might leave as soon as possible.
The Third Prince was that Princely Heir’s friend on the surface, but would not be too intimate with him. So the Third Prince wouldn’t gossip about Ning Yuling with that libertine. In this way, that Ning Yuling actually was a shrew wouldn’t be spread to the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li.
"Yes, I’ll go with Qingyu in a minute." Lanning had a better understanding of worldly wisdom. So she understood Ning Xueyan’s meaning at once and showed it on her face. She looked at Ning Xueyan with admiration and nodded her head forcefully.
Although Qingyu was still somewhat confused, she knew that Ning Xueyan had made up her mind, so she didn’t ask any more questions. Now she was more and more convinced of Ning Xueyan, feeling that Ning Xueyan was right all the time.
After lunch, Ning Xueyan went to bed for a nap. Lanning and Qingyu closed the courtyard door and went outside to meet people "occasionally". In order to meet more people, they deliberately separated and went to different places. Originally, one of the two had to stay to serve Ning Xueyan, but Ning Xueyan refused this time. She was really short of manpower now. Even though both Lanning and Qingyu went out, she still was afraid that words wouldn’t be spread to the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li.
The most important thing for Qingyu and Lanning was to encounter the servants of Commandery Prince Li’s Manor. Those servants had seen how the Consort Dowager of Commandery Prince Li’s Manor treated Ning Yuling today. So they also wanted to know some good news about Ning Yuling and then told the Princely Heir. At that time, the Consort Dowager would be satisfied and reward them.
At the same time, there was a great disturbance happening in the Lord Protector’s Manor.
Looking at the older female servant who was on her knees, Madam Ling was very angry and almost tore her handkerchief. She was unpleasant recently. Her person was wiped out one by one and now the people she sent to Ning Yuling was accused of poisoning and murdering Madam Dowager. How dared Madam Ling join in such a thing? Although she wanted Madam Dowager to die, she also knew that she couldn’t do.
Ning Zu’an was a well-known filial son. Seeing that he sit aside with an angry look, one could know he must be very angry.
"Marquis, what should I do?" Madam Ling asked carefully, forcing a smile on her face.
"Do what mother says! You’re the Marchioness, but you can’t manage the whole manor well. Things that servants murder masters happen again and again! Didn’t anyone teach you before? When something like this happens, just beat the servants to death. Don’t ask me anymore." Ning Zu’an was extremely angry. He rarely punished servants so severely. It seemed that he was in a great rage.
The evil servant dared to murder his mother so that Ning Zu’an was very angry and even scolded Madam Ling!
Didn’t anyone teach her before? Did this mean that she was lowborn? Madam Ling felt angry in mind. She gritted her
This older female servant was her person, so she wanted to save her life, although she dared not ask for mercy for her publicly. Now there were fewer and fewer people who could help Madam Ling, so she had to save her person.
"If you are a Buddhist, can you be poisoned by others? Mother lets you execute her as a warning to others. Don’t you understand?" Ning Zu’an pounded the heavily and stared at Madam Ling coldly. Now he suspected that Madam Ling was unfilial to his mother. And he felt angry when he thought that his mother was poisoned by an evil servant.
He was originally a general, so he was full of fierceness. Now he stared at this older female servant with fierceness, and she had collapsed to the ground in fear for a long time.
"Here, take her away and beat her to death!" Madam Ling had no choice but to order. Ning Zu’an had determined to severely punish this older female servant.
Two servants came over and carried away the older female servant. Knowing that she had been abandoned, the older female servant who had been gagged showed her entreaty in her eyes. But Madam Ling also wanted to kill her now. If Madam Ling didn’t execute this older female servant, she would be suspected by Madam Dowager. Then she would lose more.
Seeing Madam Ling was going to execute the older female servant, Ning Zu’an was satisfied. He stood up and said casually, "Huaiyuan will come back in a few days. Ask servants to clean up his room. All the evil servants must be wiped out. I don’t want to see these things happen again."
"Yuan’er’s coming back?" As soon as she mentioned that her only son would come back, Madam Ling was in a high mood. She didn’t even pay attention to the other meanings of Ning Zu’an’s words. Madam Ling hadn’t seen her son for half a year. She really missed him.
"He’ll be home in about half a month! You prepare to welcome him." Ning Zu’an shook his hand and went out.
"Yes, I’ll clean up in a minute." Madam Ling said with joy. When Ning Zu’an left, her face grew gloomy at once. Her beautiful face became cruel, which showed that she was very angry.
Mother Chen, who knew her temperament well, knew her mind, waved her hand and let all the maids in the room leave. Then she said, "Madam, what’s wrong with Madam Dowager’s medicine?" "I remember you didn’t touch her medicine."
How could there be such poison in Madam Dowager’s medicine? This poison was only added into the Fifth Young Lady’s medicine a short time ago.
"That little bitch is not a good woman, and I misjudged before." Madam Ling said in a gloomy way. Madam Ling had been framing others all the time, but this time she was framed by others. Madam Ling didn’t expect Ning Xueyan to revolt. She had realized that she was framed by Ning Xueyan.
"Madam, would it be the servant who sent the medicine which should be sent to the Fifth Young Lady to Madam Dowager?" Mother Chen hesitated and asked. She still didn’t believe that Ning Xueyan would be so fierce. She thought that the Fifth Young Lady had no courage or ability to do such a thing.
"I don’t care whether it’s her or not. But the cause is her. I heard that the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li also would go to the Cold Mountain Temple to choose his consort. Did you find the person I want?" Madam Ling narrowed her eyes slightly and said with hatred, "How can things be so coincidental? Since Ning Xueyan came out of the Bright Frost Garden, bad things happened one by one and the manor isn’t peaceful anymore."
"Yes, I’ve already prepared well. He’s good at drawing, especially drawing the portrait of a lady. Later, I’ll bring him to the Cold Mountain Temple. Even though he can only see her for one time, he still could draw well. The Young Ladies in his pictures are so beautiful. Those Princely Heirs and Princes must like the Young Ladies in his picture as long as they see the picture. You have ever seen his pictures before."
Mother Chen said with a smile. That man was her nephew, a chair warmer who haunted the red-light district every day and used up all his family property.
Fortunately, he had read books for some time when he was young and drew pictures well. So now he drew the portraits of ladies in a brothel and was in charge of all the portraits sending everywhere. The longer the time, the better his painting was.
"Good. Do it quickly. Let him draw well. I don’t want to see a weak lady in the picture. And the chrysanthemum appreciation grand meeting will be held tomorrow." Madam Ling said coldly. The Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li had married many women who were scheming. When Ning Xueyan married him, she would inevitably be tossed to death. It was possible that she would survive. But the Princely Heri was a playboy. She also would live an unhappy life even though she survived.
For an unfavored woman, death was much better than being alive!
"Madame, don’t worry. He has worked for you before. You can be assured." Mother Chen nodded her head with understanding
"Last time he did a good job. This is for him!" Madam Ling took an ordinary hairpin and threw it to Mother Chen. In Madam Ling’s opinion, this hairpin was common. But it valued a lot for ordinary people. Mother Chen was so happy that she bowed her head and thanked Madam Ling vigorously.
When Ning Xueyan woke up in the afternoon, the weather was cloudy and it seemed it was going to rain. Lanning and Qingyu had come back. When they heard the sound of Ning Xueyan waking up, Qingyu came to help her get up and Lanning poured a cup of warm water for her. Ning Xueyan was spirited after taking a nap.
Holding Ning Xueyan to the dressing table to dress up, Qingyu said, "Young Lady, an older female servant of Madam Dowager came and said that the Madam Dowager invited you to the Fragrance Pavilion in the back mountain."
"Madam Dowager invited me to the Fragrance Pavilion at this time?" Ning Xueyan frowned and thought in mind. She looked up at Qingyu and asked, "Is she really Madam Dowager’s servant?"
"Yes, she guards the gate in Madam Dowager’s courtyard. I have seen her in Auspicious Fortune Hall before. And this time she also came along with Madam Dowager." Qingyu answered naturally.
"It’s going to rain at this time… She’s just a gatekeeper… The Fragrance Pavilion…" Ning Xueyan looked out at the sky and showed an indifferent smile on her face.
Qingyu didn’t understand what Ning Xueyan murmured. "Young Lady, what did you say?"
"Young Lady, you’d better not go. I’ll go for you!" Lanning sensitively felt the weirdness. She put down the comb in her hands and said urgently.
"Yeah, you’ll go somewhere for me. Qingyu, prepare the brush pen and paper." Ning Xueyan stood up with her long hair scattered. Although her face was pale, her hair was dark and smooth. When it was scattered, her face looked smaller and paler. Ning Xueyan went to the bookcase in front of the window with a calm expression.
Qingyu had prepared the brush pen and paper. Ning Xueyan thought for a while and then wrote a few words with her left hand. After that, she looked at it, folded the paper and handed it to Lanning. Lanning changed her look as soon as she saw the words…