Chapter 58
"Young Lady, Young Lady, you can’t do that… If Second Madam knew it, she would have been sad." The voice of a maid came out of the room, accompanied by the sound of something falling.
Under the corridor stood a maid who stunningly saw Madam Dowager coming with anger. The medicine pot in her hand was still steaming. It seemed that she had just decocted the medicine and was about to bring it to Ning Xueyan.
"Madam Dowager, you… come and see our Young Lady." Qingyu seemed to see the savior when she saw Madam Dowager. She rushed to Madam Dowager, forgetting to put down the hot medicine pot in her hands.
"What’s wrong with her?" Madam Dowager asked impatiently. Originally, she came here with anger to denounce Ning Xueyan and became unhappier when she found that it was in a mess here.
"Our Young Lady…"
Before Qingyu finished her words, a sudden cry followed by a loud sound came out of the room, which made Qingyu almost unable to hold the medicine pot. She rushed into the house in spite of talking to Madam Dowager who followed up with her servants.
In the room, Ning Xueyan fell to the ground, and on the other side was a fallen chair. Lanning was also half sitting on the ground, holding Ning Xueyan’s one hand tightly. What made people nervous most was a pair of sharp scissors in Ning Xueyan’s hands. Lanning and she were snatching the scissors.
The two ignored the messy embroidery on the ground.
"What are you doing?" Madam Dowager’s face darkened and she heavily rapped the ground with her walking stick, making a loud sound.
"Grandma!" Ning Xueyan looked up with surprise as if she didn’t know why Madam Dowager was here. Then she let go of the scissors she held tightly, stood up with the support of Qingyu, and saluted Madam Dowager respectfully, with a dim look on her face.
Her elegant salute was totally different from her radical behavior before.
"Grandma, please sit down!" Lanning grabbed the scissors and threw it away. Then she picked up the fallen chair, bowed her head, and stepped back to one side.
Madam Dowager sat down and asked angrily, "What were you doing just now? Do you think that we haven’t had enough trouble recently so you make troubles now?"
So many things had happened. Ning Yuling lost the chance to be the Consort of Third Prince, which made Madam Dowager very angry. So now she vented her anger on Ning Xueyan.
The Madam Dowager was so biased.
Ning Xueyan glanced at Madam Dowager, hatred flashing in her jade-like eyes.
Looking at Madam Dowager’s angry look, Ning Xueyan raised her head and explained, "Grandma, I just want to shave my long hair and worship it in front of mother’s memorial tablet. From then on, I’ll stay with her to show my filial piety to her."
Shaving her hair and staying with her mother forever? Did she want to be a nun?
Thinking about her previous plan, Madam Dowager was furious and couldn’t think too much in her mind. She immediately looked sharply at Ning Xueyan and said, "What do you mean? Are you not satisfied with the gift that I just sent and deliberately did those things to embarrass me?"
The Third Prince just talked with Madam Dowager about Ning Xueyan and said he was very satisfied with Ning Xueyan. But now Ning Xueyan said she wanted to be a nun. How could the Madam Dowager not be angry?
And then she began to cough and flush. It was obvious that she really was angry!
The female physician standing behind Madam Dowager immediately went to take a cup of water to her.
Ning Xueyan knew that Madam Dowager didn’t like Madam Ming and her. If not, she would help them in the backyard in the past. Even though Ning Yuling murdered Ning Xueyan, Madam Dowager still wouldn’t care too much. Now Madam Dowager cared for Ning Xueyan because Ning Yuling couldn’t become the Consort of Third Prince. So she was afraid that Ning Xueyan really wanted to be a nun and couldn’t marry the Third Prince.
At this time, Madam Dowager wouldn’t allow Ning Xueyan to shave her hair and become a nun.
"Grandmother, my mother used
Hearing that, Madam Dowager who leaned on the back of the chair became more furious. She pounded the table with her hands, saying, "You only care your mother. Your father and I are your families too. If you become a nun, how could your father and I face the ancestors when we die?"
"But, my mother…" Ning Xueyan’s look changed and she hesitantly said.
"Your mother has died. But you still have father, brothers, sisters, and I. Isn’t it good for us to live happily in the future?" Madam Dowager constrained her anger and persuaded Ning Xueyan first.
If Ning Xueyan really shaved her hair and became a nun, the Lord Protector’s Manor would greatly lose face.
Madam Ming had just died, and then her daughter wanted to shave hair and become a nun several days later!
Moreover, Ning Xueyan was beautiful and the daughter born of the legal wife. Madam Dowager was reluctant to allow Ning Xueyan to become a nun in any case. What was more, the Third Prince had made it clear that he was fond of her.
Ning Yuling couldn’t marry the Third Prince anymore. Strictly speaking, Ning Yuling had cuckolded Third Prince. It was considered that the Lord Protector’s Manor was sorry for the Third Prince. So the Third Prince should be angry and vent his anger on the Lord Protector’s Manor.
At this time, Madam Dowager should please the Third Prince even more!
Madam Dowager had sent people to greet the Honored Consort Ya. But the Honored Consort Ya refused to see them. It could be seen that Honored Consort Ya was angry too!
So in this case, the importance of Ning Xueyan was obvious.
Madam Dowager had seen how fierce Ning Xueyan was when she snatched the scissors, so now she changed her mind and dared not force Ning Xueyan anymore.
"Grandmother, my mother will be lonely if I don’t accompany her." Ning Xueyan hesitantly said, seeming to be convinced by Madam Dowager.
Seeing Ning Xueyan no longer stubborn, Madam Dowager was relieved. Now she didn’t dare to vent her anger on Ning Xueyan. She took Ning Xueyan’s hands and said lovingly, "Xueyan, your mother also wants you to live well. She also wants you to live in harmony with your sisters and brothers. Now, you should take care of yourself. If something bad happened to you, your mother would be sad if she knew that."
Madam Dowager became sad when she said that. She took up her handkerchief and wiped around her eyes. "Your mother used to be obedient. You take after your mother. You’re also sensible. Don’t make me worry about you anymore."
Madam Dowager’s statement was sincere as if she really worried about Ning Xueyan. If Ning Xueyan hadn’t know Madam Dowager’s mind, she would have regarded Madam Dowager as a good grandmother who loved her granddaughter.
After hiding the scissors, Lanning came over and also said to Ning Xueyan, "Madam Dowager is right. Young Lady, Madam Dowager cares you so much. How could she make you unfaithful and unfilial? It’s all that older female servant’s nonsense. It must have nothing to do with Madam Dowager."
Madam Dowager was stunned by Lanning’s words. She looked back at the older female servant Lanning pointed at, face becoming gloomy.
"What did she say?"
The older female servant who stood beside was frightened, and her face suddenly turned pale.
"Madam Dowager, the older female servant who came just now said that you’re going to give the gifts of the Third Prince to our young lady. She also said that our Young Lady will marry the Third Prince and be his Co-consort. Listening to those words, our Young Lady felt indignant and said she would shave her hair and become a nun. How a daughter could be engaged after her mother died less than one month!"
Lanning pointed at the older female servant and angrily said.
Then she turned to Madam Dowager and said, "Madam Dowager, how could she say that? Our Young Lady repeatedly said that the gifts were given by you. But she said it was the Third Prince who gave them to our Young Lady. If so, it will become a private deal. The Second Young Lady’s private deal was revealed. If such a thing happened to our Young Lady too, it will bring shame to the Lord Protector’s Manor!"
This remark was very sharp. Madam Dowager was angry, but she couldn’t vent her anger. She felt embarrassed.
She turned around and heavily slapped the older female servant who stood behind her. The older female servant immediately knelt down, covering her face. The older female servant had spoken ill of Ning Xueyan in front of Madam Dowager. Now she was scolded by Lanning and she couldn’t respond for a moment. Before she could respond, Madam Dowager slapped her.
Now she didn’t dare to say more, and wonder if Madam Dowager knew her slander. She only felt frightened and begged for mercy.
"Grandma, don’t be angry. It’s nonsense. I don’t care. You greatly value propriety and rule. How can you say that?" Feeling that it was her turn, Ning Xueyan went to Madam Dowager and gently said.
Ning Yueyan’s remark made Madam Dowager more depressed, but she could say nothing. Madam Dowager couldn’t say that she really wanted Ning Xueyan to marry the Third Prince. She also couldn’t admit that in order to please the Third Prince, she sent the gifts of the Third Prince to her granddaughter who was observing mourning for her mother.
Apart from feeling angry, she still felt regret. Ning Yuling’s reputation had been ruined. If Ning Xueyan’s reputation was ruined too, there would be no suitable Young Lady in Lord Protector’s Manor.
It seemed that the marriage between the Third Prince and Ning Xueyan couldn’t be rushed. This matter should be discussed after at least three months!
If Madam Dowager was too anxious, she might fail!
"I won’t say that. You’re observing mourning for your mother. How can I talk about that now? Well, forget that and don’t shave your hair. Is that your medicine? Take it first. The health is the most important thing. You have to take care of yourself." Madam Dowager only wanted to change the topic now.
She pointed at the medicine pot that Qingyu put aside and asked Ning Xueyan to take it with concern.
"Ah, the medicine." As soon as Madam Dowager mentioned, Qingyu also seemed to remember it. She rushed to the medicine pot, opened it, and poured the medicine into a bowl. Immediately, the strong smell suffused the whole room. The smell of it was much stronger than that of Madam Dowager’s medicine.
Ning Xueyan took the bowl handed by Qingyu and was about to take the medicine, frowning uncomfortably.
The female physician standing next to Madam Dowager suddenly changed her look when she smelled something. She looked up slightly and stared at the medicine bowl in Ning Xueyan’s hands, shouting, "Wait a minute! There’s something wrong with the medicine."