Chapter 172: Self-righteousness, Instead Leading To Inferior Results

A faint smile appeared on Ning Xueyan’s lips, and the coldness hidden in her dark jade eyes slowly turned into a mockery 【.

Ning Qingshan was indeed not easy to deal with! Unexpectedly, she thought of using this method to distance herself from me, and with the matter of Xia’er, my account book would not be delivered to Luoyan Courtyard today no matter what 【.

Using a slap and a kowtow to ignite Xia’er’s fighting spirit, making her desperately kowtow to the ground, causing everyone’s sympathy, and pointing the finger at herself, hinting that she was vicious, and deliberately harmed Ning Qingshan’s maidservant 【.

Seeing everyone was looking at her, Ning Xueyan unhurriedly stepped forward and also knelt down: “Grandmother, don’t be angry, it’s all Yan’er’s fault, I just wanted to joke with Third Sister, but it made Third Sister get punished too. If Grandmother wants to punish Third Sister, then punish Xue’er first.”

Ning Qingshan didn’t want to be involved with herself, didn’t want to make people feel there was a misunderstanding between the two! She just wouldn’t let her get her wish!

“Fifth Miss, did you deliberately take back the account book just now?” Seeing Ning Xueyan take the initiative to admit the mistake, Old Madam’s complexion was slightly better, and she also understood just now, it was indeed Xia’er who rushed over to take Ning Xueyan’s account book, and the matter only happened after Ning Xueyan pulled the account book 【.

“Yes, it was Yan’er’s mistake, please Grandmother don’t punish Xia’er. Although Xia’er is wrong, today is also Concubine Xiao Xu’s good day, and please Grandmother forgive her.” Ning Xueyan raised her face and smiled.

Her bearing was very low, and she wholeheartedly spoke for Xia’er, pushing everything onto herself, without any shirk, generously saying that she deliberately made trouble with Ning Qingshan, it was just a small joke between sisters, not a big mistake.

Moreover, in front of Old Madam, she clearly stated this, representing that there was no misunderstanding between them and their sisters.

Compared to Xia’er’s hard kowtow, hitting her head, and hinting at Ning Xueyan’s words, she was honest and natural, Ning Qingshan and Xia’er’s reactions were too drastic, only making people feel a few more touches of affectedness.

Making a not very big matter into this, and it was also a day of celebration today, those present were all the Old Ladies of various Duke’s Mansions, who all saw the Overall Situation. Not to mention the others, compared to the Overall Situation, this Third Young Lady, who has a far-reaching Reputation, was actually inferior to the Fifth Miss who didn’t show her true colors.

This kind of thing, saying it’s big isn’t big, saying it’s small isn’t small. If Ning Qingshan hadn’t slapped Xia’er just now, and explained carefully, and Ning Xueyan explained beside her, Old Madam wouldn’t punish Xia’er because of a small misunderstanding, but look now, it’s a day of celebration, and there’s blood, it’s really unlucky!

Thinking again of the fact that this maidservant used “I” to refer to herself, originally it was not the way of a servant, without any rules, isn’t it said that this Third Young Lady values rules very much!

It’s okay to be kind to those below you, but being kind to servants with “you”, “you”, “I”, “I”, in the eyes of these Old Ladies, it’s not valuing rules at all.

Ning Qingshan did not expect the development of the matter to be completely beyond her surprise, Xia’er’s incident was sudden, her reaction was to go with the flow, she thought Xia’er, who she had manipulated, causing this, and that the matter of the account book wouldn’t be able to continue. But now, not only was Ning Xueyan unharmed, but she herself seemed not to consider the Overall Situation, and didn’t understand the rules.

“Get up!” A hint of anger flashed in Old Madam’s eyes, but her complexion became gentle, turning her head and saying to Nurse Qin: “Take her down, good days, making it bloody, others would think that our Duke’s Mansion abuses servants, moreover it’s also unlucky.”

Old Ladies like Old Madam believe in this the most, but she was also experienced. Although she had anger in her heart towards Ning Qingshan, she didn’t show it on her face, but instead, with great generosity, let Nurse Qin take the person down.

Today is always a happy occasion, it’s still better not to make this matter big, lest others talk about the Duke’s Mansion’s gossip.

“Yes!” Nurse Qin went over, helped Xia’er up, and led her to walk outside.

Ning Qingshan had already been helped up by an Old Woman at this time, lowered her head and patted the dust on her body, Xia’er saw that Ning Qingshan gave no instructions, and dared not to do anything more, obediently followed Nurse Qin down.

“Third Sister, I’m sorry, it’s all because of me that you injured a maidservant. I apologize to Third Sister here.” Ning Xueyan placed the account book in her hand into the hand of a maidservant beside Old Madam, lifted her skirt, respectfully bowed to Ning Qingshan, and said with a face full of apology.

“Forget it, it’s not a big deal, it’s just that I usually don’t discipline strictly enough, causing such a thing.” Ning Qingshan smiled, her expression gentle and soft, it seemed as if she really didn’t blame Ning Xueyan.

“Third Sister has forgiven me, it’s really great.” Ning Xueyan breathed a sigh of relief, the smile on her face became more lively, and coquettishly said, “Otherwise, Third Sister wouldn’t help me look at the account book, it would be terrible!”

“This account book of yours, is it really that difficult?” Old Madam naturally took the account book from the maidservant beside her.

Because of what happened just now, she had a few bits of displeasure towards Ning Qingshan, and her expression already had a slight displeasure, no longer the same as before, not paying attention to the interaction between Ning Xueyan and Ning Qingshan at all.

Ning Qingshan sensitively noticed Old Madam’s displeasure, but her focus was now on the account book in Old Madam’s hand, and she was secretly delighted, she didn’t expect Old Madam would personally look at the account book.

As long as that account book was brought near, it would certainly discover the abnormality, that strong fishy smell, no matter whose nose it was, could smell it very clearly.

“Grandmother, let me see too.” Ning Qingshan looked curious, leaned her head over, why wasn’t there a bloody smell, but a fragrance, which was very pleasant, and her complexion changed drastically.

There were a total of five account books, Old Madam casually took the top one, flipped through it, indeed saw a few places not done well, and impassively put it back into the maidservant’s hand: “Send it to Luoyan Garden!”

The maidservant responded and was about to go out!

Ning Qingshan was very anxious and had to take two steps forward: “No need to bother Grandmother’s people, I’ll let the people from Luoyan Garden take it away themselves.”

She reached out as if to take it from the little maidservant’s hand.

She, as a master, personally reached out, the maidservant was stunned, at a loss of what to do, and looked at Old Madam, she didn’t know whether to put the account book down or not!

Which Young Lady was not noble beyond compare, the maidservants of the Separate Courtyards did the sending and receiving, which were all done by servants.

Ning Qingshan, however, seemed not to have noticed, her fingers reached the bottom account book, and she pulled it with force.

“Third Sister, don’t be anxious, how can you do it yourself…” Ning Xueyan’s words sounded at the right time, but before she could finish speaking, she heard a “thud thud” sound, the account books in the maidservant’s hand were pulled hard, and all fell to the ground.

Ning Qingshan had already determined that there was a problem with the account books, and that Ning Xueyan knew, otherwise she wouldn’t have made so many gestures, and even sprinkled scented powder on the account books, just to prevent herself from discovering, saying she was joking with her sisters, she didn’t think she and Ning Xueyan had such a good friendship.

It was like this before, and it’s like this now!

So she would personally go up, the matter of the account book will cause a commotion, who would care about her little recklessness!

She didn’t even hear Ning Xueyan’s words, hearing the account books fall, she retreated a few steps, looking shocked. In order to attract more attention, she also specially shouted a low cry, as if she had discovered something important, she had full confidence, the stains on the account book, even if Ning Xueyan had any method, she wouldn’t be able to remove them 【.

Several account books fell to the ground in Ning Qingshan’s low cry of “Ah ya!”

Several Old Ladies who weren’t paying attention were startled, an Old Lady who was not in good health on normal days, her body went soft, and she fell to the Old Woman beside her, scaring the Old Woman beside her into another screaming!

“What’s going on?” The anger on Old Madam’s face couldn’t be concealed anymore. Although she was asking the little maidservant, she was looking at Ning Qingshan. Ning Qingshan’s actions just now, plus the words Ning Xueyan said, could all be seen that this matter was caused by Ning Qingshan’s anxiety and panic. What was going on with Ning Qingshan, who was usually steady, losing her composure again and again today!

Seeing that Old Madam was angered, the little maidservant knelt down in fright, and hurriedly explained: “Old Madam, Third Young Lady’s hands were too quick, this servant couldn’t keep up.”

Although she dared not to put the responsibility on Ning Qingshan, but with a flash of inspiration, she used Ning Xueyan’s words before, it was always Ning Qingshan who lost etiquette, not only took the things herself, but also took them so quickly, and overturned all the account books.

“Third Young Lady!” Old Madam looked at Ning Qingshan with a gloomy complexion, and the gazes of several Old Ladies beside her also had a few points of displeasure.

No wonder there was that maidservant who didn’t understand the rules just now, it turned out the master also didn’t understand the rules, and she even said that the Third Young Lady of the Duke’s Mansion understood the rules the most, and had the air of the legal wife Imperial Concubine, this reckless temperament, is it really suitable to be Prince’s Consort!

“Grandmother, I’m sorry, it’s because I was anxious to see Fifth Younger Sister’s account book, so I accidentally overturned the account book, I’ll pick it up now.”

Seeing the account books on the ground, none of them revealed that stain, Ning Qingshan was stunned at first, then she understood, she didn’t expect Ning Xueyan’s luck to be so good, even if they were overturned on the ground, no one had discovered them, she glanced at Ning Xueyan, who was standing on the side, her face was pale, and those eyes were staring at the account books on the ground, that nervousness immediately diluted the nervousness in Ning Qingshan’s heart.

Ning Xueyan’s expression indicated that there was indeed a problem with the account book, she didn’t need to be so nervous, so she smiled and said a word to Old Madam, and squatted down to pick up the account books on the ground.

“Third Young Lady!” Seeing that she was actually going to do it herself again, which was not in accordance with the rules, Old Madam’s walking stick heavily pounded the ground, and she warned in a cold voice.

After three years of not seeing each other, the intelligent and clever Third Young Lady had become so wooden and stupid. In this kind of occasion, she still had to do it herself, it was really too rude.

“Third Sister, let the maidservants pick them up, don’t be anxious, Grandmother will send them to you after she picks them up.” Ning Xueyan smiled slightly, and followed up to persuade.

At this moment, Ning Qingshan couldn’t bend over anymore, Old Madam was obviously angry! She had always been cautious, and she had already lost her usual composure today, if she was really angered by Old Madam because of this, it wouldn’t be worth it.

“Yes, Grandmother, Shan’er has lost etiquette!” She straightened her back, but didn’t retreat, bowed to Old Madam with a smile, if this was before, Old Madam would certainly have been full of joy, but now that this kind of thing had happened, and thinking of how Old Madam had been constantly praising her in front of the Old Ladies before, Old Madam felt like she was losing face.

So, she looked at her with a bad complexion, looked at her with a deep meaning, and didn’t take her words, and said to the kneeling little maidservant: “Why don’t you pick up the account books, and send them to Luoyan Courtyard.”