Chapter 410: The Eerie Fragrance In Madam Ling’s Room

“Fifth Miss, you’ve come. First Madam has been mentioning you these past few days, saying you haven’t been around for a while.” Before entering the room, Madam Chen greeted her with a smile.

Originally, Madam Ling was ill, and Ning Qingshan and Ning Xueyan, being daughters, should have been attending to her bedside. However, the Old Madam had never approved of Madam Ling. She just said that these two young ladies were about to marry into the Royal Family, so their identities were noble. Now they were busy with their dowries and didn’t have time to attend to her. She even feared they would catch the illness and instructed them not to go to Cloud Mist Courtyard unless necessary.

The Old Madam was the most senior person in the Mansion, and her words had to be heeded, of course. Moreover, Madam Ling did not like Ning Qingshan and Ning Xueyan. She only felt disheartened seeing them. Her own two daughters were not capable, while others’ daughters were more capable than each other. Besides, there was one in this group that she wanted to get rid of.

As for Ning Qingshan and Ning Xueyan, Ning Xueyan, of course, didn’t need to be mentioned. As for Ning Qingshan, although she was registered under Madam Ling’s name, she had no feelings for Madam Ling at all. Madam Ling’s good and bad really had nothing to do with her. Before, she worked hard to please Madam Ling to be registered under her name. Now that things had come to this point, Madam Ling wasn’t of much use anymore. She pretended to obey the Old Madam’s order, not going to Cloud Mist Courtyard to serve.

On normal days, she was the same as Ning Xueyan, occasionally sending someone to inquire. Anyway, the Old Madam kept telling them not to go to Cloud Mist Courtyard unless necessary, so they wouldn’t catch the illness. They, of course, listened to those words. With the Old Madam there, Madam Ling couldn’t speak of filial piety.

“Is Mother’s illness better? What is she doing now?” Ning Xueyan stopped, looked at Madam Chen, who was excessively attentive, and asked. Agile watery eyes glanced over the half-closed door of the room, with a bit of doubt. This was too strange; Madam Ling actually acted as if she couldn’t see Ning Ziyan having suffered such a great loss.

“First Madam’s illness has improved a lot these past few days, but she hasn’t been able to sleep well at night. Rather, she sleeps more during the day. She just had some porridge earlier. She is sleeping now. If Fifth Miss wants to see First Madam, you will have to wait a moment for First Madam to wake up, and then this old servant will report to you.”

Madam Chen sighed, her eyes slightly red, looking sad and distressed, and even deliberately wiped the corner of her eye with a handkerchief.

Madam Ling was still asleep? So she didn’t hear the commotion outside? But Ning Ziyan was pushed into the lotus pond, and could Madam Chen, an old woman, dare to make a decision without reporting the matter to Madam Ling? With Madam Ling’s temperament, if Madam Chen dared to hide this kind of thing, she wouldn’t need to stay in this Cloud Mist Courtyard anymore.

Therefore, Ning Xueyan affirmed that Madam Ling inside the room was definitely not asleep. Not only was she not asleep, but she also knew very clearly what had happened just now. The reason why Madam Chen came out was, of course, also Madam Ling’s instruction, but why was Madam Ling hiding in the room and not seeing herself?

“Madam Chen, it’s not that I must wake Mother, but because of the matter of Cloud Shadow Courtyard. The Third Prince came over specially just now for the matter of Cloud Shadow Courtyard, and the Third Prince asked me many questions. Maybe someone will come to find Mother later. After all, Mother is the female master of this Duke’s Mansion, but Mother is still sleeping, so… forget it!”

Ning Xueyan looked up, her willow leaf eyebrows slightly furrowed, looking quite worried. After finishing speaking, she seemed to feel that since Madam Ling hadn’t slept well at night, it would be inconvenient for her to disturb her, so she might as well go back first. Her footsteps turned slightly, and she looked as if she was going to go back.

The matter of Cloud Shadow Courtyard, and the Third Prince coming to investigate, someone might also come to investigate Cloud Mist Courtyard later. Madam Chen’s forehead was covered in sweat, and a hint of panic appeared in her eyes. That meant the matter of Cloud Shadow Courtyard was going to become a big deal. Such a big deal, it was necessary to immediately report it to First Madam, otherwise, if something really happened later, no one could take the blame.

“Fifth Miss, please wait a moment. This old servant will go see if First Madam is awake. For the matter of Cloud Shadow Courtyard, First Madam hasn’t been able to eat well or sleep well. Fifth Miss, you must have a good talk with First Madam later about what happened. Miss Ziying, a good young lady, how could such a thing happen!”

Madam Chen was very anxious, and she hurriedly reached out to stop Ning Xueyan, with a smiling face.

“This, isn’t it said that Mother is still sleeping? She rarely sleeps, waking Mother is not very good, right?” Ning Xueyan waved her hand, her feet not stopping, as if she thought of something, and she hastily walked out. “Madam Chen, I won’t disturb Mother first. Just now I also told the Third Prince that my body was not well and that I needed to go back to rest. If the Third Prince comes over later and sees me, it will be really bad.”

“Fifth Miss, it’s alright. You’re here to see First Madam, which is filial piety for children. If the Third Prince sees Fifth Miss, he will only say that Fifth Miss is filial and righteous, and he won’t think it’s bad.”

Seeing that she was determined to leave, Madam Chen gestured to the maidservant standing beside her, and went to stop Ning Xueyan.

The matter of Cloud Shadow Courtyard was so big, she didn’t dare to delay it. Besides, what did Fifth Miss, an unmarried young lady, know? Even if she really let her in, it would be impossible for her to discover anything. She was just exaggerating a bit to prevent First Madam from having conflict with Fifth Miss because of the First Young Lady just now.

She had let First Madam pretend to be asleep and not see her, partly because it was not easy to have a conflict with Fifth Miss at this time, and on the other hand, it was naturally because she was afraid that Fifth Miss would discover something, but now that she thought about it, it was really too much worry.

The maidservant standing by was also clever. Seeing Madam Chen’s hint, she hurried in to report to Madam Ling. Everyone in their courtyard knew that the First Young Lady was still talking to First Madam just now. How could she really fall asleep in such a short time?

“Really nothing wrong?”

Seeming to be persuaded by Madam Chen, Ning Xueyan stopped, furrowed her willow leaf eyebrows, looking hesitant.

“Definitely nothing bad will happen. On the contrary, the Third Prince will praise the young lady, that she is not feeling well herself, but is still concerned about First Madam, and is really very filial and righteous.” Madam Chen wanted to keep Ning Xueyan at this time, of course, she would say anything nice.

While they were speaking, the maidservant from inside came out, smiling and walking to Ning Xueyan’s side, and bowed: “Fifth Miss, First Madam is up. Hearing that Fifth Miss is coming, this servant specially came to invite Fifth Miss to come over.”

“Fifth Miss, you see, as long as First Madam is awake, she will immediately come to invite you. Fifth Miss, please.” The maidservant’s words, at the right time, relieved Madam Chen’s dilemma, and immediately smiled and politely gestured to Ning Xueyan with a hand.

“Since Mother is awake, of course, I must see her.” Ning Xueyan turned around and went up the steps, going inside. Qingyu followed behind.

The maidservant lifted the curtain, and a smell of stuffiness rushed out, very rich. Because it was too rich, it made people feel nauseous for a moment. Ning Xueyan herself could make various flower fragrances, and she was more sensitive to all kinds of fragrances. She immediately smelled a wisp of other tastes from these fragrances, and also a wisp that seemed to be medicinal smell, and a fishy smell, but after carefully smelling it, she couldn’t smell it anymore.

Madam Ling was ill, so she was sleeping in the inner room. The maidservant led Ning Xueyan into the inner room. Ning Xueyan helped Qingyu enter the door. The smell inside was even richer, but she could also clearly smell a clear medicinal smell. Madam Ling was ill, so the medicinal smell was normal, but when she entered the room, Ning Xueyan’s nose was also very sensitive, and the fishy smell was also much stronger, and not as faint as before.

Before, when Madam Ling was ill, Ning Xueyan had also come. At that time, although there was a medicinal smell in the room, it wasn’t fragrant. How could a sick person still have the mood to make the room so fragrant, and that kind of rich degree was three or four times heavier than the ordinary fragrance.

Her hand pressed silently on Qingyu’s shoulder. Agile watery eyes glanced at an incense burner on the corner of the wall, and there was a sandalwood incense still inserted in it, but it was already extinguished. Qingyu received Ning Xueyan’s hint and also saw the incense burner. She slightly exerted force on the hand holding Ning Xueyan, indicating that she knew.

“Fifth Miss is here, ah, please sit down. I am not feeling well, and I dislike the medicinal smell too much, so I put in more fragrance to wash it away, and it may not smell good.”

Madam Ling was wearing an undergarment and leaning against the bed. Her expression did indeed look not very good. Her hair was disheveled, looking listless. Seeing Ning Xueyan come in, she specially pulled out a smile.

“Mother has been using medicine in this room all the time, so the medicinal smell is naturally strong. Using fragrance to dilute the medicinal smell can naturally cover up a part of it. This method is really good.” Ning Xueyan smiled, following Madam Ling’s words. She sat down on a chair pulled over by Madam Chen, and Qingyu naturally stood behind Ning Xueyan.

Seeing the maidservant brewing tea, she hurried over to take it: “Sister Qingyu, be careful, the tea is hot.”

The maidservant who was serving tea whispered.

Qingyu smiled and nodded, indicating that she knew. She took the tea and handed it to Ning Xueyan, but somehow her foot slipped, and a cup of tea spilled out. Ning Xueyan stood up in a panic and took a step back, and also knocked over the chair she was sitting on, and the table behind the chair was also knocked over.

For a moment, some broken things on the table all fell down with a crash, mixed with the tea that had just spilled out, making the room a mess. Because it happened suddenly, no one reacted, and when they saw it, it was too late to save.

“Ah, Mother, the maidservant doesn’t know the matter, and I hope Mother will forgive.” Ning Xueyan held Qingyu’s hand and took two steps back, and apologized to Madam Ling, who sat up.

“First Madam, it’s not my fault, this servant will wipe it clean for you immediately.” Qingyu’s face was pale with fright, and she hurriedly turned around and took a rag from the side, and went to handle the things on the ground.

“It’s alright, let Madam Chen handle it!” Madam Ling’s veins on her forehead jumped, and she endured and did not pick up the cup of tea she had drunk before to smash it at Ning Xueyan, and she forced a smile.

“Yes, Fifth Miss, you can talk to First Madam here first, this old servant will handle it.” Madam Chen reacted at this time, and snatched the rag from Qingyu’s hand, and then asked the maidservant serving water to bring a brocade stool for Ning Xueyan to sit down, and she and the maidservant together handled the things on the ground in a flustered manner.

Qingyu helped on the side, awkwardly and at a loss, and the scene was a bit chaotic.

“Fifth Miss, I heard from the maidservant that you met the Third Prince just now? Aren’t you about to marry the Third Young Lady, why can’t you hold back and want to see the Third Young Lady?” Madam Ling forced her attention on this matter, and opened her mouth with a false smile, and this was her goal to let Ning Xueyan into the room.