The Devious First-Daughter

Seeing Madam Ling’s serious face, Ning Huaiyuan knew what Madam Ling was thinking about. He advised her again, “Mother, you have a son and a daughter. Why are you afraid of a concubine, one of a maid origin? Even if she is the most favored concubine now, she is just a plaything. After a while, when my father does not like her anymore, you can beat and scold her. It’s all up to you, Mother. Why are you unhappy now?”

“That little bi*ch, I wanted to keep her for you before, and she agreed. I did not expect that she would hook up with your father only a few days after I went to the Buddha Hall. What a shameless bi*ch!”

When Madam Ling talked about this, she wanted to scratch Yu Lian’s enchanting face. She had known that this bi*ch would have an affair. To prevent her from serving Ning Zu’an in bed, she specifically told her that she would give her a title when Yuan’er came back if she went with him. Unexpectedly, she was still so dissatisfied with her lot. Madam Ling felt that she had been betrayed.

That was why she still did not acknowledge Concubine Xu’s identity.

“Mother, what’s the point of saying these things now? It is better not to mention them now. Now she is my father’s concubine. It’s not appropriate for you to repeat this.”

Ning Huaiyuan rubbed his forehead helplessly.. He did not know what to do with his stubborn mother. Should this matter be brought up now? And whenever they talked about little Concubine Xu, they would always mention it. If outsiders heard it, something might happen.

“Mother, do you want Second Sister to come back?”

“Yes, of course, I do!” When Madam Ling spoke of Ning Yuling, she nodded vigorously and stopped scolding Yu Lian.

“Father dotes on little Concubine Xu the most now. Mother, you have to be good friends with her. Ask her to say a few more good words in my father’s ear so that Second Sister can come back.”

Ning Huaiyuan said this seriously.

Madam Ling was happy when she heard that Ning Yuling might come back. But when she thought that she had to ask Yu Lian for help, she gritted her teeth in anger. However, looking at her son’s determined eyes, she knew that it was a good idea. So she said, “Okay, Yuan’er, don’t worry. Mother will go and make friends with Concubine Xu.”

“Just let the bi*ch be happy. Once Ling’er came back, this bi*ch will certainly suffer.

“Mother, this is the style of the legal wife. No matter how spoiled little Concubine Xu is, she can’t get the better of you as long as I’m here. Now, if you treat her well for my father’s sake, my father will be happy. As for what will happen in the future, it all depends on you.” Ning Huaiyuan hinted.

Ning Xueyan’s words calmed Madam Ling down. After thinking for a while, she realized that it was true. She was the First Madam of Lord Protector’s Manor, and no one could compare with her. Besides, she as the legal wife, had given birth to a son, who had grown up well and had a good reputation in the capital city. The Lord Protector’s Manor would belong to her, so how could that little bi*ch compete with her, in the future?

If she tried to please her, she would keep her. If she dared to fight against her, she would sell her to the brothel.

Seeing that Madam Ling had calmed down and seemed to be thinking about something else, Ning Huaiyuan knew that Madam Ling had made up her mind already. His mother was not stupid. She was smart enough to rise to the position of the legal wife in the Lord Protector’s Manor, from a woman who had nothing initially. But recently, she ran into numerous problems, which made her flustered, so that she did something wrong.

After speaking a few more words to Madam Ling, he went to the backyard.

Yesterday, he went to Minister Xia’s Manor to look for Ning Ziyan, but he did not see her. He only saw Xia Yuhang, who said that Ning Ziyan was in meditation, so she could not see him for the time being. Of course, Ning Huaiyuan knew that that was only Xia Yuhang’s excuse. After all, Ning Ziyan’s reputation had been ruined. It was already good that Xia’s Manor did not say anything else.

So, he did not ask anymore. He asked Xia Yuhang to take Ning Ziyan to a private room at night and have a reunion dinner. Although Xia Yuhang did not agree, there was nothing wrong with his request. He also asked him to go to the Cloud Reflection Courtyard to look for something, saying that Ning Ziyan wanted it.

Whether Ning Ziyan or Xia Yuhang wanted it, Ning Huaiyuan had to take it seriously, so he went to the Cloud Reflection Courtyard at this time.

As soon as he walked through the wall that separated the Cloud Reflection Courtyard from the Lord Protector’s Manor, Ning Huaiyuan saw Ning Xueyan sitting under the tree, reading leisurely.

The wind blew her half-dry long hair. A few strands fell on her tender white face, which made her look more delicate. Her skin was as white as snow, and her skirt fluttered in the breeze. The wide, snow-white cloak enveloped her. Only a slender hand stretched out from under the cloak and flipped through the pages.

The sun shone in front of her. After some time, her face, which had always been pale, had a faint flush and she looked extremely beautiful.

Ning Huaiyuan frowned and looked at her from afar. He stopped, and his eyebrows twitched. There were mixed emotions in his eyes, some happy, some disgust, some resentment, and some insidiousness…

“Young Lady, the Eldest Young Master is here!” Lanning found Ning Huaiyuan standing in the corner and pushed Ning Xueyan, who appeared to be in a trance.

Ning Xueyan put down her book and raised her head. Looking at Ning Huaiyuan, who was approaching one step at a time, she bowed slightly and said with a gentle smile, “Nice to see you, Eldest Brother. What are you doing here at this time?”

After saying that, she looked around in surprise. This place was almost out of the range of the Lord Protector’s Manor, except for its proximity to the Bright Frost Garden.

“The eldest sister asked me see if the books she wanted are in this courtyard. She said that she had lent them to Sister Ziying before.” At this time, Ning Huaiyuan had already stopped worrying. He smiled and said calmly.

“This… Sister Ziying likes reading too? Brother, can you tell me about Sister Ziying? The servants in the mansion don’t dare to say anything about her. It is as if she is a taboo subject”, Ning Xueyan pointed at the Cloud Reflection Courtyard and asked curiously.

“I… I don’t know. Most of the time, I am not in the mansion, and only my first sister was on good terms with her.” Ning Huaiyuan said indifferently. At first glance, she knew that he was not interested in talking about it.

“Oh, I thought you and sister Ziying were also very close to each other. I heard that my Eldest Brother-in-law and Sister Ziying had a good relationship. A distinction should be made between males and females. So, I thought that you were there to accompany them. That did not seem to be the case.” Ning Xueyan said with a smile on her face, as if she was not aware of Ning Huaiyuan’s darkened face.

“Who told you that Ning Ziying and Yuhang were very close?” Ning Huaiyuan grabbed Ning Xueyan’s hand and asked in a harsh voice.

“Brother, it hurts.” Ning Xueyan frowned and cried out in pain. Lanning hurried over to hold Ning Huaiyuan’s hand and said hurriedly, “Eldest Young Master, you are hurting my young lady.”

Ning Huaiyuan finally came to his senses. He quickly relaxed his hand and apologized to Ning Xueyan, “Xueyan, I’m sorry. This news came as a shock. Who in the manor told you this? How can you talk nonsense? She is already dead. We can’t ruin her reputation.”

“Eldest brother, I don’t know who said that. The day before yesterday, when I went to visit my grandmother, I went to the rockery in the garden to have a rest. Then, I heard two older female servants saying that. Today, I saw you, so I just enquired casually.” Ning Xueyan said. Her long eyelashes fluttered, as she tried to suppress the hatred in her eyes.

Sure enough, the Eldest Young Master of Lord Protector’s Manor, who was said to have a good reputation, knew that Madam Ling and her daughter killed her.

How much did they hate her in her previous life? So many people watched her fall to her death, but no one reached out to save her. No one considered the bonds of kinship. Those so-called flesh and blood affection belonged to them. As for herself, in their eyes, she had long been dead…

Who would bother about a dead person?

“That is just foolish talk. Fifth Sister, don’t believe it. Sister Ziying’s reputation is good.” Hearing that it was the older female servants’ gossips, Ning Huaiyuan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that he needed to bring some order to the mansion so that no further confusion or gossip would be spread.

“Yes, I dare not.” Ning Xueyan nodded slightly and watched Ning Huaiyuan go to the Cloud Reflection Courtyard alone.

To find a book? The book Ning Ziyan lent to her? Could Ning Ziyan be a person who liked reading?

She sneered slightly. She had guessed that since Xia Yuhang was looking for something at her place and could not find it. There could not be anything in her dowry. Then, he would come to Cloud Reflection Courtyard again and get Ning Huaiyuan to come over?

Did Xia Yuhang dare to say what he was looking for? He wanted to rummage through her things, but he could not just come over and do that.

Sure enough, when she bent her head to read again, a black shadow blocked the sunlight in front of her. When she looked up and narrowed her watery eyes, she saw that it was Ning Huaiyuan, who had just passed and returned. A faint sneer flashed across her eyes.

“Fifth Sister, why is the courtyard blocked off?” Ning Huaiyuan frowned and asked, pointing at the Cloud Reflection Courtyard, not far away.

He had turned around the corner and was about to go in, but he found that the door had been bricked up and he could not get in.

“I don’t know, either. Maybe the door was bricked up after they finished building the wall. I saw someone starting a project here from a distance.”

Ning Xueyan smiled and said this innocently, glancing at the Cloud Reflection Courtyard.

Madam Ling had asked Qingyu to build a wall in front of the Cloud Reflection Courtyard, as she wanted to separate this place from the whole Lord Protector’s Manor. Ning Xueyan had asked Qingyu to mention it casually and then “extended” Madam Ling’s meaning. Of course, the servants would seal the gate of the courtyard.

Since the First Madam said that she did not want to see this courtyard, as she thought that this courtyard was ominous, they tried to seal it off as much as possible, so that the First Madam would not be affected by the bad luck. Then, they had to report this matter to Madam Ling. But at that time, Madam Ling had already entered the Buddha Hall, so Ning Xueyan had to pay them for the work.

As a reward, of course, they were paid a little more than the agreed sum. So, these people were happy and felt that they had understood First Madam’s meaning. Otherwise, why would the First Madam give them more money? There was a rumor that the First Madam must have something to do with the young lady who died there. Otherwise, why would the First Madam feel so guilty?

Of course, Ning Huaiyuan was not aware about this, so he did not know that the courtyard had been sealed.

“Eldest Brother, the front door is relatively close to the wall. It might be sealed accidentally.” Ning Xueyan closed the book with her slender hands and turned to look at the back door. The expression in her eyes became more and more sardonic. “Maybe the back door is not sealed.”

Of course, that place was not completely sealed. It was left open for those who were looking for things…