The Devious First-Daughter

“What? I’m trying to mess up her marriage in order to marry Third Prince?”

Ning Xueyan curved up her lips with coldness in her jet-black eyes. Looking at Ning Qingshan fearlessly, she said calmly, “Third Sister, don’t get me involved in the matter between you and Third Prince. I have nothing to do with Third Prince, but please respect my mother. If you look down on her, why did you call her ‘mother’ so intimately before? After she had passed away, you started calling Madam Ling ‘mother’. Third Sister, you are really something!”

She did not care what had happened between Ning Qingshan and Ao Mingyu, but Ning Xueyan did not think that there was any reason for Ning Qingshan to humiliate Madam Ming.

“I’m really something? Of course! If you were not jealous of me, Third Prince would have fallen in love with me,” Ning Qingshan said in a low voice with obvious hatred in her eyes.

“Jealousy? Third Sister, what makes you think in this way? Because you’re favored by our grandmother?” Ning Xueyan asked calmly with a trace of smile on her lips, which was sarcasm and ridicule in Ning Qingshan’s eyes. Besides, Ning Xueyan also used the same reason that she had told Madam Dowager before.

“Of course you’re jealous of me! I’m noble and you are no match for me. I’m the perfect match for Third Prince. Besides, I’m excellent in all aspects and it won’t be difficult for me to rise higher in the future. However, you have always been against me and gotten me into trouble. If it weren’t for you, our father wouldn’t have suspected me and Third Prince would not have distanced from me.”

The more Ning Qingshan said, the angrier she became. Her elegant eyes were covered with a hint of hatred because of her deep jealousy. It was hard to believe it was Ning Qingshan, who had always put a perfect and gentle smile on her face in front of people.

It sounded that Ning Qingshan was so noble that words could not even express her nobleness. It reminded Ning Xueyan of what Ning Qingshan’s maid Xia’er had said when they first met. Xia’er had also hinted that her master was incredible noble. It made Ning Xueyan suspect that Ning Qingshan was the princess of the previous dynasty again. If that was not the case, how could an adopted daughter think herself extremely noble? It seemed that Ning Qingshan was hinting that she would become the empress in the future.

“Third Sister, though your identity is noble, I’m not worse than you. Why do you think that you fit Third Prince better than I do?” Ning Xueyan raised her eyebrows with a look of disapproval.

“You!? You think yourself excellent? Are you good at music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? Can you compose poems and songs? Can you be graceful and natural, born noble?” Ning Qingshan did not want to pretend to be gentle anymore. She looked at Ning Xueyan, biting her teeth, and shouted angrily, raising her voice unconsciously.”

If it were not for the fact that they came late and there was no one in the guest rooms, many people would have gathered to watch.

Ning Xueyan was surprised, but soon showed a cold smile on her face. She had never thought that Ning Qingshan was so narcissistic. “Born noble? Is she really the princess of the previous dynasty?” If that was the case, it was no wonder that Ning Qingshan was so proud of herself and thought that she was born superior to others.

Of course, it was normal for her to think that she would become empress in the future. However, since she called Ao Mingyu ‘cousin’, it was impossible for her to be the princess of the former dynasty.

The previous regime had only been overthrown for more than a decade and there were a lot of rumors about it. It was said that the last emperor of the previous dynasty had no son and only a daughter who had been very young when he was deposed from the throne. Maybe the princess had not died in the fire in the imperial palace. Seeing Ning Qingshan’s frantic look, Ning Xueyan only felt ironic.

Even though Ning Qingshan was that princess, the former dynasty had collapsed. Every new sovereign brings his own courtiers. The succession of regimes affected far more than just a few families, so Ning Xueyan was confused about why Ning Qingshan thought that she would enjoy the splendor and be superior to others all the time. And she even framed others for this purpose.

When she was still a kid, Ning Qingshan had already known how to poison others and frame others. After growing up, she was even more ruthless and vicious. Was it because she was the noble princess of the former dynasty that everyone had to give way to her and anyone who blocked her way would die?

In a word, she was too self-righteous. Since the previous dynasty had been replaced, of course the former emperor’s daughter was not a princess anymore. She had been supreme before, but now she was nothing at all. As she could not even show herself in public, how could she think highly of herself? Who would still think of her as a princess?

In the final analysis, Ning Qingshan did not know much about the current situation and still thought it was great that she was the princess of the former dynasty. She thought that she was a perfect match for Third Prince, Ao Mingyu, but never thought about whether other people thought in the say way. In the other’s eyes, she was only an adopted daughter of Lord Protector. Even though she had a good reputation, she was no more than an adopted daughter. After all, except for Ning Xueyan, she was different from Lord Protector’s own daughters.

In Ning Zu’an’s eyes, Ning Xueyan was no better than a maid of their manor.

Ning Xueyan thought that Honored Consort Ya played the most important role in making other people thought that Ning Qingshan would become Third Prince’s wife. If Honored Consort Ya had not highly recommended her, Ning Qingshan would never become Third Prince’s wife. Now since she had aroused Third Prince’s suspicion, she could not marry Third Prince as his wife anymore.

Ning Qingshan’s identity was doubtful, but it was not the time to argue with her. Thinking about this, Ning Xueyan turned around and walked in another direction.

Suddenly, she saw a figure in light yellow robe flash past her and she stopped. However, before Ning Xueyan could think about it, she was grabbed by the hand and forcibly pulled back to where she had been. Seeing that Ning Xueyan almost fell to the ground, Xinmei immediately walked over to support her. She turned her head slightly to one side, signaling Ning Xueyan that someone was in that direction.

“Third Sister, no matter how outstanding and noble you are, I don’t want to compete with you.” After standing firmly, Ning Xueyan raised her head and said calmly. Against the lantern light and moonlight, her fair face looked graceful and calm. Obviously, she was not flustered by Ning Qingshan’s sudden loss of control.

“Ning Xueyan, stop dreaming of marrying Third Prince. Even if you can marry him, I will trample you underfoot. If I want you die, you can’t live!” Ning Qingshan said arrogantly.

“Third Sister, it seems you are very confident to become Third Prince’s wife,” Ning Xueyan said emotionlessly with coldness in her eyes.

“Of course you can’t guess the relationship between Third Prince and me!” Speaking of Ao Mingyu, Ning Qingshan could not help feeling triumphant. As she was Honored Consort Ya’s niece, whatever her reputation, Honored Consort Ya would help her. It was Honored Consort Ya who had created the opportunity for her to approach Third Prince three years ago.

“Ning Xueyan, you’d better give up! I have saved Third Prince’s life, so you can’t rob him away from me!”

Ning Xueyan was amused by Ning Qingshan’s arrogance. “You have saved his life? Third Sister, you must have made it with some tricks!” she retorted casually. When she saw Ning Qingshan’s shocked look, she chuckled and continued, “Third Sister, it seems I’m right. Otherwise, how could a powerful prince be saved by you, a delicate Young Lady?”

Ning Qingshan was stunned. “You… stop talking nonsense!” she looked around and shouted angrily.

“I’m right, am I? Third Sister, I feel sorry for you for doing anything to marry Third Prince.” Ning Xueyan shook her head and stopped talking to Ning Qingshan. She then walked quickly forward. Since someone in yellow was on the path, she did not want to head for that direction to avoid bumping into someone she did not want to see.

It should be Third Prince or Fourth Prince. In the capital city, only these two princes would have come to the temple with their men and stay up at night on New Year’s eve in the previous years. But neither of them had shown up by now. It was more likely to be Third Prince, because only he could be so patient. If it were Fourth Prince, he would have jumped out long ago.

How could it be so coincident?

Ning Xueyan was still wondering whether Ning Qingshan was the princess of the former dynasty or not. From the way Ning Qingshan acted and spoke, she should be, but in fact, it was impossible.

Ning Qingshan was reluctant to let go of Ning Xueyan, so she took a few steps forward, but was stopped by Xinmei. Hearing someone coming, she immediately stopped walking and put on the usual gentle and peaceful look, looking even a little weak and delicate.

Her arrogant and ferocious look had disappeared. She did not follow her until she saw Ning Xueyan turn the corner.

Until Ning Qingshan was out of sight, a young man in light yellow robe walked out of a corner with a darkened face, followed by a guard and a eunuch.

Ao Mingyu had never expected that he would have seen this. At the thought that Ning Qingshan was so vicious under her gentle appearance, he could not hold back his anger anymore. He clenched his fists out of anger. He had been guilty for setting up Ning Qingshan before.

He had thought that if Ning Qingshan was not Ao Chenyi’s favorite concubine, he would definitely treat her sincerely. After all, she had saved his life three years ago. But what had he heard just now? The woman was so wicked that she had set up a trap for him three years ago. It was no wonder that there had been nobody around him when he fell ill that day.

Even the pills that he had always placed in his pocket was missing. Besides, he had been at such a remote palace at that moment. Ao Mingyu clearly remembered that Honored Consort Ya had asked him to gather some plum flowers there for her that day, saying that since nobody had usually gone to that place, the plum flowers were the best. That was why he had gone so far.

He was surprised that his mother had framed him for that b*tch. If Ning Qingshan had not ‘saved his life’, he would not have been so obsessed with her and given an adopted daughter of Lord Protector any opportunities to become his wife. It turned out that this b*tch had been acting all the time!

“Your Highness, shall we go to the main hall?” The eunuch asked him in a low voice when he saw Ao Mingyu was in a bad mood.

“Why not? Let’s go!” Third Prince, Ao Mingyu loosened his clenched fists and said with a gloomy face. Since that b*tch dared to plot against him, he would show no mercy. “Mother, since you want me to marry her, I’ll follow your words. I’ll definitely marry her!” he thought.

Now, he had made up to marry Ning Qingshan and would not change his mind even if his mother stopped him from doing so.

He would do this for both the bargaining chip behind Ning Qingshan and Ning Qingshan herself.

Since she was so vicious, she should not blame him for being cold-blooded!