Chapter 214: I Want To Leave The Duke’s Mansion

』 Most of the Duke’s Mansion’s courtyard lights had already gone out, only the main house of Luoyan Courtyard still had lights on. Madam Ning Qingshan’s usually gentle and elegant face was full of ferocity. The hand that was not injured was tightly clenched into a fist, with veins bulging on her forehead. Her vicious gaze was directed at the direction of Mingshuang Courtyard, and she gnashed her teeth.

』 The wounds on her body had been re-bandaged. The impact wasn’t very severe, but they hadn’t fully healed before, so some of the original wounds had split open. Just now, she had reapplied the medicine. These medicines were all secretly brought in from outside by Nurse Luo these past few days.

』 “Nurse, what did Madam Ling say?” Madam Ning Qingshan asked, her anger still not subsided. Speaking of which, it was another bout of anger and another bout of fury. She grabbed the Ruyuan jade porcelain bottle beside her and fiercely smashed it against the wall, still unsatisfied.

』 Not only was she humiliated today, but she also suffered such a huge loss, yet she couldn’t speak of it. Otherwise, the Old Madam would definitely have someone examine her injuries. At sixteen years old, she hadn’t suffered such a silent loss, how could she not be angry.

』 “Young Lady, don’t be angry. Madam said that she can’t make the decision now, so she asked you to go find the Eldest Young Lady and discuss, and look for a suitable candidate.” Nurse Luo saw that Madam Ning Qingshan was truly angry and quickly stepped forward to persuade, “Young Lady, your injury is really nothing serious. The Third Prince might be even more concerned about you if he knew, which is better than sneaking around now, as if you had done something wrong.”

』 Speaking of which, Nurse Luo also didn’t understand Madam Ning Qingshan’s pursuit of perfection. Having been injured in the Imperial Palace, what a big deal it was, why hide it again and again, making things so passive today!

』 Madam Ning Qingshan coldly snorted, not intending to pay attention to Nurse Luo on this matter. After gasping for a few breaths, her expression slowly returned to calmness. Madam Ling was now in the Buddha Hall, indeed unable to protect herself, and she herself was, after all, a girl who hadn’t yet gotten married. It wasn’t very convenient to go in and out, but if it was Ning Ziyan, that was indeed a good candidate.

』 “You also urge Concubine Ma to hurry up. If you want to go, don’t dawdle, otherwise, you won’t be able to leave when the time comes!” Madam Ning Qingshan said coldly, her pale face under the light flickering, with a kind of eerie ferocity.

』 Nurse Luo knew what she meant, and immediately said, “Concubine Ma has an idea, and she also agreed with Caifen’s words, but she has been slow to act. Perhaps she is still hesitating. Young Lady, should we go and urge her again?”

』 “No need to go!” Madam Ning Qingshan flatly refused, a strange sneer appearing on her face. “Tomorrow, you go and have Caifen persuade Concubine Ma, let her stay well, and tell her that in the next couple of days, Madam will come out! Let her think about how to beg Madam for forgiveness!”

』 She would make her want to stay but not be able to!

』 “Yes, this old servant understands!” Nurse Luo immediately understood Madam Ning Qingshan’s meaning and rejoiced.

』 “Next, if Concubine Ma has any needs, you let Caifen satisfy her as much as possible, without asking me for instructions. Those difficult things can also be pushed onto Madam. As for how to handle the details, that’s up to you. As for Ning Ziyan, we’ll see what happens after Concubine Ma’s matter is settled.” Madam Ning Qingshan continued.

』 “Yes, this old servant knows.” Nurse Luo understood, knowing that the Young Lady didn’t want to be too involved in Concubine Ma’s affairs!

』 The next morning, Concubine Ma arrived at the entrance of Mingshuang Courtyard again. This time, she stood properly at the entrance and asked the little maidservant to go in and report.

』 Ning Xueyan asked her to go in.

』 “Fifth Miss, I want to leave the Duke’s Mansion!” Concubine Ma looked very wan, and it was obvious that she hadn’t slept well. The first thing she said when she saw Ning Xueyan was a firm statement.

』 Ning Xueyan was playing with a pink Court Ladies round fan, touching the tassel hanging down from it, and gave a lazy smile, raising her bright dark jade eyes: “Concubine Ma, are you here to say goodbye to me today?”

』 “I…” Concubine Ma didn’t expect Ning Xueyan to not follow up with the question, but instead asked herself this question. She opened her mouth, unable to speak for a moment, and suddenly lifted her skirt, “thud,” and knelt in front of Ning Xueyan, heavily kowtowing several times, gritting her teeth, “As long as Fifth Miss can help me leave here, I am willing to do anything you want!”

』 These few kowtows were absolutely solid, and immediately, Concubine Ma’s forehead became red and swollen, showing that she sincerely wanted to leave here.

』 “Concubine Ma is really willing to do anything to leave the mansion!” Ning Xueyan smiled slightly and said faintly, with an implied meaning.

』 “Fifth Miss, I have offended Madam. Madam will definitely not spare me when she comes out. Now, the Duke also regards me as nothing. And in the future, I won’t be able to have… offspring. The best outcome is to die of old age in the backyard of the Duke’s Mansion. If that’s the case, I’d rather escape from the mansion, at least I can have a way out, so I won’t lose my life in my youth!”

』 Concubine Ma said excitedly, her body trembling slightly, clenching her teeth, showing that she had truly become emotional.

』 “What does Concubine Ma want our Young Lady to help you with?” Ning Xueyan didn’t speak, Lan Ning had already stepped forward and said coldly, “Our Young Lady can’t even protect herself, how can she help you!”

』 “No… I don’t ask Fifth Miss to help me too much, as long as Fifth Miss can let me dress up as a maidservant and follow the Young Lady out of the mansion. In the future, it’s as if Fifth Miss saved my life, and in my next life, I will repay you like a dog or horse!” Concubine Ma kowtowed heavily on the ground again, and then took out a jade pendant from her arms, holding it up with both hands, and presented it to Ning Xueyan.

』 “Fifth Miss, this is a family heirloom. According to my mother, this jade pendant has been passed down for several generations, it’s warm in winter and cool in summer. Fifth Miss is not in good health, so this kind of jade is most suitable.”

』 “You want me to help you escape the mansion, and use this as a gift?” Ning Xueyan’s gaze fell on the jade pendant, and then turned to Concubine Ma’s face, asking impassively.

』 “Yes, I beg Fifth Miss to save me!” Concubine Ma cried out in a mournful voice, looking at Ning Xueyan with red-eyed, her hand held high.

』 “What if I don’t save you today?” Ning Xueyan suddenly smiled coldly, slightly lowered her eyes, and looked at Concubine Ma.

』 Not save her? Concubine Ma was astonished, looking at Ning Xueyan in disbelief, with sadness and anger in her eyes.

』 “Alright, I agree!” A hint of a cold smile at the corner of her mouth, those watery eyes with a light mist, were as cold as if they had been poured with cold water. “It will also save you from having to kill yourself here, making this place unlucky.”

』 If it was ruthless words, but spoken so naturally, that sharp gaze with deep meaning made Concubine Ma’s face lose all blood color.

』 “I… Fifth Miss… I, thank you Fifth Miss!” After stammering a few words, she finally realized, and excitedly shouted, wanting to kowtow to Ning Xueyan again.

』 Her face relaxed slightly, almost imperceptibly.

』 Finally, finally it’s done…

』 “Concubine Ma, after you leave the mansion, you won’t have anywhere to go. Our Young Lady has already thought it through for you. That person in the opera troupe is still waiting for you, and that’s considered devotion. Our Young Lady originally wanted to get you out of the mansion, but it depended on whether you were willing. Since you came to our Young Lady, then it’s just right. Lovers will eventually be together, and it’s also a good story.”

』 Lan Ning took over the conversation on the side.

』 “He… he’s still waiting for me?” Concubine Ma suddenly looked up, her hands clenched tightly, and she was trembling all over with excitement.

』 “Yes, he is still waiting for you. After you leave the mansion, from then on you can fly high, as long as you leave the Capital City, the Duke’s Mansion won’t look for you.” Lan Ning continued.

』 “Re… really?” Concubine Ma almost repeated it in a daze, and when she saw Lan Ning nod, the immense joy immediately filled her eyes with tears. She couldn’t stay in the Duke’s Mansion anymore. Staying there would only lead to a dead end. She didn’t expect that the person that day was still waiting for her. Was there anything more exciting than this!

』 “Concubine Ma, I think this jade pendant smells very good. I don’t know what your ancestors did, that the fragrance on the jade pendant hasn’t dissipated for so many years!”

』 After Concubine Ma calmed down again, Ning Xueyan, looking curious, pointed at the jade pendant she was holding high and asked.

』 Concubine Ma’s heart trembled, and she immediately sobered up, explaining carefully: “Fifth Miss, it’s not that the jade pendant has smelled so fragrant for so many years. It’s just that I usually wear this jade pendant, and the fragrance of the face powder on me has rubbed onto the jade pendant, so that the jade pendant has a lot of fragrance. Fifth Miss only needs to air it out slightly, and the fragrance will fade away.”

』 “Is this jade pendant really so precious?”

』 Ning Xueyan stared at the jade pendant again, and sweat started to drip down Concubine Ma’s back, but she couldn’t say a word.

』 “I heard that this kind of dragon-carved jade pendant comes from the royal family. Could Concubine Ma’s maiden family be from the previous dynasty’s princes and princesses? That would be even more unfortunate. I heard that the Emperor was still ordering the capture of the previous dynasty’s princesses. If it’s based on this, and Concubine Ma’s family is found, Concubine Ma’s family will be exterminated. This dragon incense, whoever touches it, those in the Palace, there is a special breed of puppy, very good at smelling scents. They can tell who has touched this jade pendant just by sniffing it.”

』 Ning Xueyan spoke very gently, a faint smile rippling in her watery eyes, as if she was talking to Concubine Ma about ordinary family matters, rather than a major crime of confiscation and extermination.

』 Sweat also began to appear on Concubine Ma’s forehead, the jade pendant in her hand was almost unable to hold, and her body was trembling into a ball, her face turning almost without any blood color.

』 “As long as this jade pendant has been touched by Concubine Ma, the Duke’s Mansion will certainly find it. The Third Young Lady is about to marry the Third Prince. Borrowing a different kind of puppy from the Palace should not be a problem. As long as they follow the scent, Concubine Ma and your lover will certainly both, together die in Yellow Springs. Of course, this is still with Concubine Ma’s entire family accompanying you. I heard that Concubine Ma also has a nephew who is not yet a year old. It’s a pity, this time, he will also be implicated by Concubine Ma, and have his life taken away!”

』 Ning Xueyan was smiling, smiling particularly kindly, but Concubine Ma had already collapsed on the ground, her face pale with fear, the jade pendant in her hand had already fallen to the ground.

』 Suddenly, she rushed forward a few steps, grabbed Ning Xueyan’s skirt hem, and said in panic: “Fifth Miss, save me! This… this jade pendant was given to me by the Third Young Lady! Fifth Miss, I have no choice. If I don’t do as the Third Young Lady says, I can’t escape the Duke’s Mansion, I can only die inside!”

』