The Devious First-Daughter

Even though there were no other outsiders here, these guards and coachmen had all witnessed the terrible scene. If this tragic thing happened to her, Ning Xueyan knew that it would be effortless for Ao Mingyu to threaten her with it.

Just now, she felt very strange because Ao Mingyu’s guards specially told her to sit in the last carriage. However, it was common knowledge that the last one was the easiest to be left behind. Ning Xueyan didn’t know what Ao Mingyu meant by doing this, but she was sure about one thing—next, at least Ning Qingshan’s carriage would be safe.

After the farce caused by Ao Xian today, Ning Qingshan‘s reputation was on the edge of being ruined now. If anything more happened to her, she could not even join the Beauty Contest. But how could Ao Mingyu allow such a thing to happen? Thus, Ning Qingshan must be in the safety zone. It was also the reason why Ning Xueyan struggled to send herself into Ning Qingshan’s carriage.

“Who is making trouble here?” Suddenly, a bunch of people rushed over from a distance. The one at the forefront riding a horse came here first. Behind him were some people marching with measured steps. Apparently, they were a team of patrolling soldiers.

“Come here quickly. We are protecting the families of Lord Protector’s Manor. Some people tried to assassinate them.” When the guard saw these soldiers coming, he shouted in a hurry.

It was a public security team in the capital. When those soldiers heard that some people tried to assassinate the family members of Lord Protector’s Manor, they immediately rushed over. Those masked men saw that the situation was not good, so they quickly let go of Ning Lingyun and Caifen and dispersed in an uproar. When the soldiers rushed over to catch them, all those masked men had already run away.

They left only two women, Ning Lingyun and Caifen, who were standing outside the carriage. Then with hair straggling over their shoulders, the two of them ran to Ning Qingshan’s carriage while crying. What a miserable scene!

“Where is the Fifth Young Lady?” At this time, the guard’s face dramatically changed. Looking at the noiseless second carriage, he instantly grabbed Caifen, who ran over, and he asked anxiously. His target of doing all of this was the Fifth Young Lady. But how could the Fifth Young Lady be so calm without any reaction? A bad feeling arose from the bottom of his heart.

“Sir, are you looking for me? I’m fine with my Third Sister!” The curtain behind him was lifted silently. Ning Xueyan’s pale face showed up under the light of high raised lanterns and torches.

“You… You… Why are you in this carriage?” The guard’s face turned blue, and he almost could not hold the sword in his hand.

“The horses of our carriage were frightened just now, which greatly scared our Young Lady. So she specially came here to huddle with the Third Young Lady.” Qingyu’s head cropped up from the carriage. After checking the situation outside, she explained. Then, she happened to see Ning Lingyun rushing over in a mess. In a surprise, Qingyu gazed at her with eyes as large as copper bells. “Fourth Young Lady, what, what happened to you? Were you injured?”

Ning Lingyun was in a mess now. Just now, a strong masked man held her in his arms. She struggled hard, and even the accessories on her head fell off. Now with disheveled hair and mess clothes, Ning Lingyun appeared as if she had been raped no matter how others looked at her. Seeing her look like this, all those soldiers who came up later to help were guessing which lady she was.

Upon hearing Qingyu’s words, they immediately understood that this lady was the Fourth Young Lady of the Lord Protector’s Manor. Besides her, it seemed that there were two other Young Ladies of the Lord Protector’s Manor in the intact carriage before.

Everyone on the spot could tell that the person who came from behind the Fourth Young Lady must be her maid. That was to say, these masked men must have dragged the Fourth Young Lady and her maid down from the carriage. Then, these two girls ended up in a mess like that. Although nothing more serious had really happened, they looked so miserable as if these men had truly raped them.

That was how the leading soldier misinterpreted the scene he had seen. Of course, the timid maid that Ning Lingyun initially brought with her was still lying in the carriage, shivering. She was unable to move now, and others directly ignored her.

Scratching and scrambling, Ning Lingyun climbed into Ning Qingshan’s carriage. Immediately after she got onto the carriage, she held Ning Xueyan’s hand tight with a complicated look full of jealousy, hatred, disgust, and suspicion flashing in her eyes. “You… Did you already know…”

“Fourth Sister, the Third Prince arranged the carriages for us. Now that nothing happened to the Third Sister’s carriage. However, the carriages of you and me had been hijacked,” Ning Xueyan said slowly. With calm eyes, she looked at Ning Lingyun as if she hadn’t noticed that Ning Lingyun’s hard pinch made the red mark on her arm.

Ning Lingyun was stunned for a while. Slowly, she turned her eyes to Ning Qingshan and watched her intently with a vicious look. Then she suddenly let go of Ning Xueyan’s hand and burst into tears.

“What do you mean, Fifth Sister? Are you implying that I have something to do with those attacks aimed at you?” Ning Qingshan’s face turned livid with rage under the light. She was fed up already because her maid Caifen was forced to get off the carriage just now. And now right after she heard that Ning Xueyan hinted at Ning Lingyun that she plotted all of this, Ning Qingshan immediately smiled coldly. “Fifth Sister, it seems that you treat me as a fool. I have always been earnest and sincere to you, but you actually thought that I was scheming for something.”

“But Third Sister, I say nothing about that. I was just telling her the truth. Are you unwilling to admit the fact, Third Sister?” Ning Xueyan’s voice sounded a little aggrieved, but she looked perfectly calm. A faint smile even emerged on her face. She looked as if she had not been wronged at all.

Ning Qingshan became so furious that she said with a cold face, “Fifth Sister, you can think in whatever way you want. Anyway, I have a clear conscience.”

After saying that, she directly got off the carriage and went to the carriage behind. Pulling Caifen who followed after her, Ning Qingshan got on the carriage that stopped in the middle. The two coachmen were only injured and did not die. At this time, they also finished bandaging their wounds and sat back behind the shafts of the carriages.

Because the team of soldiers were afraid that something bad would happen again, they directly escorted them to the Lord Protector’s Manor, and the group of people went all the way back to the manor in peace.

The guard brought the carriages back after the three Young Ladies arrived at the Lord Protector’s Manor and returned to their own houses. Then, he went straight to the Third Prince’s to report on completion of his task.

“Come in!” Ao Mingyu was still playing chess with Xia Yuhang. He just set a chess piece when he heard the knock on the door, so he answered the door casually.

Xia Yuhang smiled slightly, making no comment. He seemed to be focused on the chessboard. Carefully studying the move that Ao Mingyu just made, he didn’t even raise his head.

When the guard came in, he first saluted respectfully and then reported, “Your Royal Highness, the Fifth Young Lady got on the first carriage and stayed with the Third Young Lady. So only the Fourth Young Lady and a maid were scared.”

Slowly, Ao Mingyu stopped smiling and asked thoughtfully, “Why was she with Ning Qingshan?”

“Somehow, the horse was frightened, and the Fifth Young Lady was also shocked. That was why she went to stay with the Third Young Lady.” The guard was vague about the details and didn’t dare to mention that Ning Xueyan sent him away with an excuse at that time.

“Well, it looks like an accident, doesn’t it?” Ao Mingyu frowned, but then appeared relieved. “After all, she is merely a frail unmarried girl in a noble family. It was normal for her to feel afraid. Who knows? It might be an accident. But this time, she was lucky enough to avoid the huge embarrassment.”

Without saying anything, Ao Mingyu waved his hand to motion the guard to leave.

Seeing Ao Mingyu no longer pursue the matter, the guard breathed a sigh of relief and retreated cautiously. He then closed the door for the Third Prince. The guard did not dare to speak out the suspicion in his heart. “At first, the Fifth Young Lady sent me away. Then she went to the carriage at the forefront. After that, a maid came out of the first carriage and stayed in the second carriage instead of her. At that moment, I certainly could not realize that things had already changed. That was why I would make such a mistake.”

“But is all of this only a coincidence?”

“If I knew that the Fifth Young Lady had gotten into the Third Young Lady’s carriage, I would try my best to send out secret signals to stop those masked men from rushing out. Then nothing serious would happen next. I always feel that this weak and sick Fifth Young Lady doesn’t look like someone easy to deal with.”

Of course, without any evidence, the guards did not dare to tell Ao Mingyu what was in his mind. Besides, it was evident that his master was interested in the Fifth Young Lady. Thus, he thought it would be much better for him not to get involved in the things between them. Perhaps, his Royal Highness would fall in love with the Fifth Young Lady. In that case, as a humble guard, he might get killed even without knowing why. Thus, the guard thought that the less he talked, the fewer mistakes he would make, and if he kept his mouth shut, he could make no mistake.

In the room, Xia Yuhang placed another piece. Raised his eyes, he smiled gently. “Your Highness, you have lost.”

Ao Mingyu looked down. “Exactly. The piece that Xia Yuhang set just now destroyed the overall composition that I had made. Now I can hardly recover the situation again.” He then couldn’t help laughing and put the other chess pieces on the chess basket next to him. “You’re right. I lost the game. After all, I played a little casually and hastily. I’ll find a chance to play with you next time and defeat you.”

“Okay, I’ll wait for our next game.” Xia Yuhang stood up and said goodbye. Ao Mingyu sent him to the door and turned around.

Xia Yuhang went downstairs and walked to a corner, looking toward the box of Lord Protector’s Manor. He spotted the shadows on the window. Seeing that the master of the manor had not left, he turned around and left with an insidious smile on his face.

When Ning Zu’an and Madam Dowager came back, they heard that something happened to the three sisters on the way and became very anxious. Later, they were soon relieved when they knew that only Ning Lingyun met with an accident.

The next morning, Ning Lingyun went into the Buddha Hall on the excuse of praying for Madam Dowager. Senior Concubine Xu knelt in Madam Dowager’s Lucky Garden for a whole day. But Madam Dowager still didn’t forgive her, nor did she allow her to visit Ning Lingyun. For a while, a very depressing atmosphere enveloped the Lord Protector’s Manor tight. Everyone in the manor knew that Madam Dowager was angry.

Well, in Auspicious Clouds Courtyard, Madam Ling was in a good mood. Now, whoever in trouble was not her daughter, so it had nothing to do with her. Actually, her son told her that he wanted to find a way to get Ling’er back these days. But he didn’t give her a reply up till today. Madam Ling felt so anxious that she got up early in the morning only to wait for him.

After all, Ning Yuling who ended up like that was her favorite daughter. Also, her delicate face was finally disfigured by Madam Ling’s slap, which made Madam Ling guilty and sad. Therefore, when Madam Ling heard that her daughter’s face had almost recovered, she certainly would put her whole heart into getting Ning Yuling back to the capital.

Finally, Ning Huaiyuan came to her place. But when he had just spoken a few words, Madam Ling couldn’t help asking, “Yuan’er, what about your Second Sister? When can she go back to the capital? After all, the Spring Festival is coming. Whenever I remember that she stay at that small place alone, I will feel very sad.”

With this, she picked up her handkerchief and covered her eyes with it, feeling bitter in her heart.

Ning Huaiyuan thought for a while and said, “Mother, don’t worry. I think that we should wait until my two sisters are in the imperial palace to join the Beauty Contest. Then Grandmother will have no granddaughter around to accompany her. At that time, she will definitely allow my Second Sister to come back if we ask her.” Yesterday, he wanted to take a chance to mention the Second Sister, but Ning Xueyan ruined his chances.

“But it will take a long time for us to bring her back. Perhaps, the New Year will have been over already. Your Second Sister has always been spoiled. How can she get used to living in such a small place in the countryside? I cannot imagine how terrible she looks like now after suffering so many tortures. Anyway, that d*mned old woman has many granddaughters. She will never care if anything happens to my Ling’er. But Yuan’er, you should remember that Ling’er is your biological sister.”

In broken sobs, Madam Ling said. Her eyes turned red, and her tears immediately fell.

“Mother, I certainly know that the Second Sister is my natural younger sister. But the thing to get my sister back cannot be rushed. Or, we can ask my father to do this. Mother, Junior Concubine Xu has already become my father’s woman. Thus, you don’t have to be so stubborn. It seems that you don’t have the style of the Legal Wife at all.” Helplessly, Ning Huaiyuan urged.

During this period, Madam Ling stirred up too much trouble. Ning Zu’an only visited her the first day when Madam Ling was released from the Buddha Hall. Later on, he hadn’t paid a single visit to Madam Ling’s Auspicious Clouds Courtyard. Instead, his newly-loved Junior Concubine Xu got good out of Madam Ling’s misfortune because Ning Zu’an had been staying at her palace except for the study. But as soon as Madam Ling remembered that Junior Concubine Xu served Ning Zu’an in bed under her eyes, she would gnash teeth in hatred. Whenever Junior Concubine Xu came to her place, Madam Ling would make a long face.