Ch 107: Struggle Among Wives And Concubines, The Concubine Wins

“You are very good……” Ning Zuan glared at Madam Ling and viciously said, the two forked heads of veins on his forehead jumped twice.

Madam Ling felt that it was not good just now, but she couldn’t get a word in for a while. Ning Xueyan spoke one sentence after another, making it impossible for her to keep up with her thoughts. This time she understood, but it was too late, and she subconsciously called out sweetly, “Duke!”

Her legs went soft, and she couldn’t stand, and she fell weakly to the ground, just hitting the pillar on the side, and blood flowed down her head immediately!

Madam Chen hurried to help her, and urgently cried to the surrounding people: “Quick, hurry and help Madam back to her courtyard, ask the Doctor to come and see Madam, ah, this wound is so serious, what should we do?”

Seeing Madam Ling’s miserable appearance, Ning Zuan frowned slightly. He hesitated for a moment about Madam Chen’s words about returning to the courtyard; after all, they had been husband and wife for many years, and he was indeed somewhat reluctant.

“Duke,” Concubine Ma suddenly took two steps forward, “thud” and knelt in front of Ning Zuan, and said with tear-filled eyes: “Duke, please give this servant a way of life. This servant had nothing when entering the mansion, and will not take a single cent from the Duke’s Mansion when going out. This servant will be with the blue lamp and ancient Buddha in the future, to pray for blessings for the Duke and the Old Madam.”

Later on, she was already sobbing uncontrollably.

Looking at those wronged beautiful eyes and pale, bloodless face, and the blood color hanging from the corner of the mouth, Ning Zuan’s heart was greatly pitied, and he was even more annoyed at Madam Ling. He reached out to pull Concubine Ma, and said gently: “Why do you say that? You are a concubine of the Duke’s Mansion, how can you become a nun? It has nothing to do with you. I will definitely find a good Doctor for you, and always take good care of your health.”

“No, Duke, this servant dares not to stay any longer, I’m afraid… I’m afraid that I don’t know when, the First Madam will make up something like I have a lover.” Concubine Ma said with tears, decisively. A fresh blood hung from the corner of her mouth, but she looked delicate and pitiful.

“Father, don’t make things difficult for Concubine Ma anymore.” Ning Xueyan said softly from the side.

“What is difficult?” Ning Zuan was startled, but then his gaze fell on Madam Ling who had fallen to the ground.

“Father, the truth of the matter was that Concubine Ma was wronged so much, but in the end, she almost died without a clear reason. Yesterday a bowl of medicine broke her offspring, and today it was in the dishes… If this continues, where is there still a way out for the concubine? It’s better to take this opportunity to leave the mansion. It’s also good to be with the blue lamp and ancient Buddha, at least she can live well.” Ning Xueyan sighed, these words sounded like she was persuading Ning Zuan, but it made Ning Zuan’s rage rise. He, as a dignified Duke, couldn’t even protect a woman.

“Duke, this servant is a woman from a humble background. Before, I had also performed on a stage and drank tea in the opera troupe. I can’t be considered as coming from a good family. If a man appears from time to time in the future and says he has a relationship with this servant, where will this servant have the face to live on! This servant is now, with no thought of living.”

Concubine Ma said, turning her head and bowing deeply to Ning Xueyan, crying: “Fifth Miss, I’m really sorry. Previously, I said that I put poison in Fifth Miss’s medicine, that was entirely the First Madam who told me to say that. I only said that I pleased the First Madam, so that I could better serve the Duke. Moreover, the First Madam also said that I would be fine, as long as I pretended to be pregnant, I could get away with it. The doctor of the mansion also had the First Madam’s hands and feet. But how could I have expected that the First Madam was actually planning to catch both me and the Fifth Miss in one fell swoop!”

Concubine Ma’s words were true and false, sounding very reasonable. With all these things, as soon as it was said like this, they were all connected.

On Ning Zuan’s face, it was not just rage that filled the sky, but even the expression of the Old Madam sitting above was also difficult to watch.

“Duke, this servant has occupied the Duke’s favor, and shouldn’t have done so. The First Madam can’t tolerate this servant and wants to handle this servant and the Fifth Miss together. Fortunately, the Fifth Miss is a person with a broad heart, otherwise, this servant would be unclean even if I died, and it would also implicate the Duke’s reputation…”

A sentence made Ning Zuan’s face turn purple with anger, he almost roared out, coldly glaring at Madam Ling, who was being supported by the crowd, and said: “Isn’t Madam going to the Buddha Hall to pay respects to the Buddha? Hurry up and take her away, what are you dawdling for!”

A sentence scolded all the maidservants and old women around Madam Ling who were busy, they were all stunned. Even though Madam Ling closed her eyes and didn’t open them, her heart ached terribly. How could he not care about the affection of husband and wife, and shut himself in the Buddha Hall? This would make her how to face people in the future.

“Get out quickly!” An unprecedented gloom appeared on Ning Zuan’s face, and he angrily said.

This time, no one dared to hesitate anymore. Regardless of the injury on Madam Ling’s head, they half-supported and half-carried the fainted Madam Ling, and hurriedly went out the door towards the Buddha Hall, no longer daring to mention going back to Cloud Mist Courtyard.

“Duke…” Concubine Ma pitifully said, “Duke, it’s always the First Madam, this servant can’t let the Duke be so difficult…”

“Rest assured, if anyone says you have this kind of thing in the future, I will never believe it again!” Ning Zuan guaranteed.

This means that in the future, even if Madam Ling threatens with the people from the opera troupe, Ning Zuan will not believe it, and Concubine Ma couldn’t help but feel relieved.

“Mother, I’ll take her to see the Doctor.” Ning Zuan turned to the Old Madam, and looked at Concubine Ma with a few more points of guilt. Yesterday she had such a big thing, but she had listened to Madam Ling’s words, and doubted her, and didn’t go to see her at all.

“Go!” The Old Madam touched her dull head, waved her hand, and after yesterday’s commotion and today’s commotion, the Old Madam only felt exhausted and had a bad headache.

Anxious about Concubine Ma’s health, Ning Zuan went out very quickly this time, without noticing the displeasure on the Old Madam’s face.

Ning Xueyan watched this scene with a cold gaze. After Ning Zuan left, she lightly walked to the Old Madam’s back, and reached out her hand to gently knead the temples on both sides of the Old Madam. In this life, Madam Ming also often had symptoms of headaches, and Ning Xueyan would always gently knead for her.

The Old Madam was comfortable from being kneaded, she slightly opened her eyes and saw that it was Ning Xueyan, and couldn’t help but sigh softly: “Fifth Young Lady, you have been wronged, are you resenting Grandmother?”

Ning Xueyan smiled slightly, and softly said: “Yan’er doesn’t resent!”

Of course, it wasn’t just resentment, it was hate!

Hearing this, the Old Madam was indeed very pleased, and a smile appeared on her face: “Your mother’s older brother is the Minister of the Ministry of War, and he is very favored by the Holy Emperor. It is said that he may be promoted to Minister. Although your mother has been making trouble recently, she still loves her daughter, that’s why this thing happened. Yan’er, rest assured, this will not happen in the future.”

Is this considered a guarantee to her?

If she really believed it, it would only result in another death without a burial place.

Madam Ling’s older brother is currently favored by the Holy Emperor, so no matter what, the Duke will not break off this marriage, this sentence sounded like an exclamation, but in reality, it was a warning, this was admonishing Ning Xueyan to stop while she’s ahead!

It even carried a threatening meaning.

Ning Xueyan’s heart sneered. At this point, the Old Madam was still wholeheartedly protecting Madam Ling. From the perspective of bloodline affection, Madam Ming was still her own niece, and she didn’t even ask about it until her death. What happened in the backyard, how could the calculating Old Madam not know anything.

Unless she originally hoped for this as well!

Mingshuang Courtyard had been closed for so many years, and Madam Ming and herself had been living a difficult life in the mansion, suffering all kinds of bullying, but she had never offered any help, and now Madam Ling had only been slightly punished, but the Old Madam came to warn her, how could people not feel cold.

What is the reason that makes the Old Madam so biased!

Ignoring her own niece, but instead accommodating Madam Ling! How is it possible that there is no reason in this!

“Thank you, Grandmother, Grandmother, how is it with Older Sister?” Ning Xueyan smiled slightly, asked faintly, her hands were still working hard to knead for the Old Madam.

Seeing that Ning Xueyan did not insist on asking further, it was obvious that she was a smart person. The Old Madam nodded secretly, but when she thought of Ning Ziyan’s matter, she felt another wave of depression: “Your older sister’s husband cannot take the Spring Examination next year, and the child in Yan’er’s belly is gone, and it also involved the reputation of the Duke’s Mansion…”

“Grandmother, that day I heard the maidservant from Xia Mansion talk about Sister Ziying’s matter, did Sister Ziying not have to avoid suspicion when meeting with Older Sister’s husband before?” Ning Xueyan asked casually.

As soon as these words came out, she sensed that the veins on the Old Madam’s forehead had jumped a few times.

“It’s possible… your older sister and Ning Ziying have always had a good relationship… so they didn’t avoid suspicion so much.” The Old Madam’s eyes flickered slightly.

“Then why did Sister Ziying suddenly commit suicide, and what did she do, jumped into the lotus pond? Everyone in the mansion said that Sister Ziying was killed, and that night someone heard screams coming from Cloud Shadow Courtyard.” Ning Xueyan’s hands were still gently kneading the Old Madam’s forehead, without seeing the mockery in her eyes.

“Who is talking nonsense?” The Old Madam pushed away Ning Xueyan’s hand, turned her head and sternly asked.

“I… I didn’t pay attention either, just the day before yesterday, when I passed a courtyard gate, I heard a few maidservants and old women behind that wall talking about things, and when I turned around to look, they were gone.” Ning Xueyan seemed to be frightened, and after a while, she cleared her thoughts and answered.

“Next time, when you encounter this kind of servant talking nonsense, don’t say anything, just drag them out and beat them to death!” The Old Madam viciously said.

If Ning Ziying’s matter was leaked out, the Duke’s Mansion might provoke a disaster, how could the Old Madam not be anxious and angry, even more nervous than hearing about Ning Ziyan’s accident, and the truth of Madam Ming’s death being revealed, and the wrinkles on the corners of her eyes jumped uncontrollably.

The voice was icy cold.

“Grandmother, can’t we talk about Sister Ziying’s matter?” Ning Xueyan deliberately pretended to be dazed and asked.

The Old Madam’s sharp gaze fell on Ning Xueyan, but only saw that she was calm and revealed a bit of dazedness, and she looked upright. She thought about how she hadn’t left Mingshuang Courtyard for so many years, and it shouldn’t be possible to know Ning Ziying, so it was also impossible to be probing her words, the expression on her face became gentle again.

“Yan’er, Ning Ziying’s matter is not for you to ask. She is only living in our mansion. Her own matters have nothing to do with us. If anyone asks about it in the future, you just say that you have always lived in Mingshuang Courtyard and have never seen her. The original trivial things, all of them were brought by her own.”

Her father was dead, and her mother was dead, and she had no more family, and she had lived in the Duke’s Mansion for several years, and no one had ever asked, why was she suddenly informed that she might be asked, at this moment, Ning Xueyan clearly realized that her own cause of death was not that simple.

In the previous life, what trivial matters did she ignore!

Madam Ling, her daughter and Xia Yuhang only took her life on the night before her marriage. Was it really just because they coveted her dowry, so they endured her until the end, waiting for the dowry to enter the door of the Xia Mansion, and then those people revealed their vicious nature!

Although those dowries were valuable, they were not comparable to Madam Ming’s at all. Madam Ling, who had swallowed Madam Ming’s dowry, was wealthy and powerful, why did she risk being discovered and reveal the truth of that marriage, and leave herself to the end!

The later you leave it, the easier it is for people to doubt, although she had always been very low-key in her previous life, but in order to gain her trust, Xia Yuhang had often come to her Cloud Shadow Courtyard, and there were many people in the mansion who saw them, and people’s mouths were mixed, risking such a danger, was it really just because of the property!

The answer is definitely “no”!