The Devious First-Daughter

Ao Chenyi was in a good mood when he returned to his manor. Instead of heading for the study, he walked to the backyard, looking relaxed. Yu Jian was reporting to him something, a step away behind him. He was Ao Chenyi’s henchman, and they had grown up together.

“Prince Yi, what shall we do next?” Yu Jian asked after reporting the latest news to Ao Chenyi.

He had learned from the imperial palace that the emperor was determined to choose a consort for Prince Yi. Those candidates were all from noble, but not powerful families. Every three years, the imperial palace would hold the Beauty Contest to choose concubines for the imperial male members. The emperor wanted to take this opportunity to choose a woman for Prince Yi so that Prince Yi could not refuse again. So obviously, he had been provoked and was determined to meddle in the affairs of Prince Yi’s backyard.

“Three years on. The Beauty Contest is coming again!” Ao Chenyi stopped and looked at the lake beside him, lightheartedly. He then curved his lips and smiled with a sardonic expression.

“Yes, Prince Yi. Then…” Yu Jian said.

Three years ago, the emperor had planned to choose a consort for Prince Yi, but Prince Yi had happened to be ill. The illness had lasted for a long time, and later, they had asked a master from the temple to cast spell to cure his disease. The master had told them that it was not good for Prince Yi to get married. If he had done so, he would suffer from health problems or get into trouble. Then the emperor had had to stop choosing consort for him. Now, it seemed the emperor’s patience had worn out. He was getting old, and he became more afraid of his younger brother.

Since he could not control Ao Chenyi directly, he must find a way to control him through his women. At least, he could not let him marry a nice girl who came from a powerful family.

Everybody knew what the emperor was plotting. But since he was both the emperor and Prince Yi’s elder brother, of course he could call the shots on Prince Yi’s marriage.

“Will any Young Ladies of the Lord Protector’s Manor attend the Beauty Contest?” Ao Chenyi asked coldly.

“It’s said that Third Young Lady and Fifth Young Lady will attend the contest,” Yu Jian answered after thinking for a while.

“Leave those people alone. I think it’s time for me to get married.” He curved up his lips and smiled enchantingly, an icy look shining in his charming eyes.

“Prince Yi, are you serious?” Yu Jian’s eyes sparkled and he could hardly believe what his master said.

“Why are you so surprised? Don’t you want me to get married?” Ao Chenyi shot a glare at Yu Jian.

“Prince Yi, I’m so glad that you finally agreed to get married! I, I’m going to prepare right now.” Yu Jian was overjoyed because it was the first time that his master agreed to marry. “Does this mean that I will have a baby master soon?” he thought.

“You don’t have to clean the Fragrance Garden now,” Ao Chenyi said lazily, as if he had not seen his henchman’s ecstatic look.

Fragrance Garden was his ‘favorite concubine’, Ning Xueyan’s residence.

Ao Chenyi did not want Yu Jian to clean the room, because he did not want to kill his ‘favorite concubine’ for the moment. Then the others would think that his favorite concubine was still living in his manor. Ao Chenyi had planned to use the palace for other purposes, but now he changed his mind.

“What if His Majesty asks about it?”

“Leave him alone. He is so busy and he can’t find time to meddle in my business. Besides, he can’t make a decision for my marriage.”

“Shall I go to the Lord Protector’s Manor?” Yu Jian asked cautiously.

“No, you don’t have to go. I have my plan. Put aside the affairs of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice for the moment. His Majesty is determined to find a consort for me. I must take it seriously and find a woman I like by myself. Clear up a main courtyard. By the way, clean and decorate the Pear Flower Garden.”

Ao Chenyi said with an enchanting smile, a coldness flashing in his eyes.

“Pear Flower Garden?” Yu Jian froze a short while and observed Ao Chenyi’s expression cautiously. He felt relieved because he did not find anything wrong from Ao Chenyi’s face. He was surprised that his master would allow a woman to live in Pear Flower Garden. The location was a little far from the center of the manor. “Is Prince Yi going to take this place as the residence of his co-consort?” Yu Jian wondered.

But he immediately denied this assumption. Impossible! The outsiders might know nothing about Pear Flower Garden, but Yu Jian was very familiar with it. His master had never allowed people to enter the courtyard easily, so it was impossible for him to have his co-consort live inside. Even his principal wife would not be allowed to live there.

“Master, do you want to get… someone to live in Pear Flower Garden?”

“Yes. It’s time to find a new hostess for it now,” Ao Chenyi said, his eyes shining, looked especially charming. Now even the bloodthirsty and coldness seemed to have faded from his eyes. Then he lifted his robe embroidered with blood-red manjusaka, making it look more luxurious and beautiful.

He thought that making that little girl his woman was not a bad idea.

This idea had popped into his head at the sight of Ning Xueyan today. Although he had always taken her as his woman, nobody else knew it. He had given the South Sea Pearls in front of so many people today. That meant he would let her by his side openly. Besides, his backyard should have a hostess now.

If he could marry this girl, getting married did not seem to be a terrible thing!

That little girl was so smart, so he was confident that she would not get him into trouble. Thinking about this, Ao Chenyi was very satisfied with the idea that he had suddenly come up with. He was eager to see that girl panic-stricken when she heard the news that she was going to marry him. Maybe he should visit her tonight and told her this ‘good news’!

Ning Xueyan had missed the lunch time when she returned to Bright Frost Garden. Lanning brought a food basket to her. After having a little food, Ning Xueyan put down her chopsticks and walked into the inner room. She wrote a letter and handed it to Mother Han, asking her to visit the Ming Manor and give the letter to her uncle, Ming Feiyong. She wanted to make a big scene tomorrow, and she needed his uncle there.

“Miss, I will go immediately.” Seeing her young master arrange for everything calmly, Mother Han shed tears of relief. She nodded and walked out without hesitation.

Ning Xueyan put down the brush pen in her hand. She looked at the South Sea Pearls on the dresser, rolling her eyes.

She had heard that those shopkeepers had privately discussed and they would find excuses not to turn in the account books tomorrow. Therefore, she had planned to visit those shops one by one to warn them. Since Ao Chenyi had given her a box of pearls, it was unnecessary for her to visit them one by one. Therefore, the pearls had saved her a lot of trouble.

In order to make a scene, Ning Xueyan would not miss any opportunity.

This box of South Sea Pearls could be used for many purposes.

She smiled sweetly, looking so gentle and delicate.

But she could no longer smile when she saw Ao Chenyi at night. The proud prince was lying on her bed, as if he was the owner of the room. He waved his hand to her, looking kind of gentle. However, what he said next instantly made Ning Xueyan’s graceful smile freeze.

“Yan’er, you will be my concubine in the future. Tell me, are you overjoyed?”

“Overjoyed?” Ning Xueyan felt like being struck by the lightning and ten thousand crows were flying overhead. She was so shocked. “What happened? I have never said that I would marry this powerful and bloodthirsty devil!” Nobody had said anything about it to her before, but she could not ignore what Prince Yi said, because he did not seem to be joking.

“You don’t look happy. Don’t you like me?” The handsome, smiling face suddenly darkened. Even the air seemed to froze.

Taking a deep breath, Ning Xueyan calmed herself down. She widened her bright, jet-black eyes and said respectfully, “Prince Yi, you are kidding. You’re handsome, unrestrained with delicate air, so it’s natural that all the Young Ladies in the capital regard you as their Prince Charming. But I’m only the most unfavored daughter of Lord Protector, how dare I dream of marrying you?”

Ning Xueyan finished the words without stopping. She then observed Ao Chenyi’s look carefully. It was not that bad! At least, he did not look grim anymore. It seemed he enjoyed her flattering very much, but his half-smiling face still made her uneasy.

Ao Chenyi was indeed in a good mood at the moment. Since he made up his mind to marry her, he had been feeling pretty good. He had heard a lot of such flattery before, but he did not feel so hypocritical when it came out of Ning Xueyan’s mouth.

“Come here!” He reached out and glanced at Ning Xueyan, looking pleasantly.

Ning Xueyan was only a step away from him. Caught off guard, she fell into his embrace. She smelled a faint fragrance coming from the ambergris, which could make people refreshing.

Before she could break free of his embrace, he lifted her chin. She was forced to face him in such a posture. Being firmly constrained within his arms, she could not move at all. With a little panic in her beautiful eyes, she struggled subconsciously. However, it was in vain, and she was still held by him firmly.

The panic in her eyes turned to helplessness, her long eyelashes trembling. She looked at his face as handsome as Asura with her delicate charming eyes. In his narrowed eyes, she saw a trace of tenderness, but soon it was replaced by the breathtaking charming smile.

Being so close with this Asura, Ning Xueyan felt a lot of pressure. What made her more nervous was that their bodies were pressed together. However, compared to this man, she was too weak and her strength could be ignored, so their confrontation was completely out of proportion.

Ning Xueyan stopped struggling when she realized that they were unequal in strength.

She stared at Ao Chenyi with her bright and clear eyes, waiting for his next move.

Ao Chenyi looked at the girl in his arms. There was a little childish air on her extremely charming face. She had been very nervous just now, then her panic turned to helplessness, and finally, she calmed herself down. Her body was a little stiff, but she did not seem to be nervous now. Ao Chenyi had an impulse to make her restless. He narrowed his eyes and touched her lips with his finger frivolously.

“Do you know how many women wanted to marry me, but I turned all them down. Yan’er, you’re so lucky!”

“So lucky?”

Ning Xueyan thought helplessly. Yes, she had won the lottery, but unwillingly. Actually, she did not want to be so ‘lucky’ at all! But from Ao Chenyi’s look, she could tell that he was serious. Ning Xueyan was clear that it would be useless to object to such kind of things. Prince Yi, Ao Chenyi, had never followed the other’s words!