Chapter 206: Perhaps My Family Is Fine

“Fifth Miss, you, you save me, you must save me!” Seeing Ning Xueyan come out, Concubine Ma suddenly knelt down at the courtyard entrance with tears in her eyes and cried.

“Concubine Ma, what are you doing? If there’s anything, can’t you just say it properly? With you kneeling like this, those who don’t know would think that our young lady is bullying you.” Nurse Han, who was experienced, took two steps forward and stood in front of Ning Xueyan, comforting Concubine Ma while also admonishing.

“Fifth Miss, Fifth Miss, you must save me today, otherwise I would rather kneel to death here.” Concubine Ma struggled to break free from Nurse Han’s hands and began to cry.

“Nurse Han, since Concubine Ma doesn’t want to say anything, and likes to cry here with me, then let her cry!” Ning Xueyan said with a faint expression, stopping Nurse Han’s action and turning around to walk into the room.

Concubine Ma didn’t expect Ning Xueyan to really ignore her and just turn around and leave. She was very anxious and didn’t dare to make a fuss anymore. She quickly stood up, crying and calling out, “Fifth Miss!”

“Concubine Ma, if you have anything to say, please calm down and make it clear. If you are trying to coerce me into doing something impossible, then please go back.” Ning Xueyan said, looking coldly at Concubine Ma with ink jade eyes that were cold and dark.

Concubine Ma felt uneasy being looked at by her, as if everything in her heart was being seen through by Ning Xueyan’s eyes. She quickly turned her head slightly and whispered, “Fifth Miss, I… how could I do such a thing? I really have something to ask of Fifth Miss.”

“If you have something, then please say it!” Ning Xueyan wasn’t in a hurry either, turning her body and looking at Concubine Ma with faint eyebrows.

“Just… just say it here?” Concubine Ma was astonished and looked back.

This was at the entrance of Mingshuang Courtyard. Just now, kneeling like that, not only one servant stopped to watch the fun, but even several young girls who passed by outside Mingshuang Courtyard were also looking. It really wasn’t a place to talk.

“There is nothing that cannot be said to others, and moreover, I don’t think Concubine Ma’s matter is something that cannot be seen. Please speak frankly, so that others won’t think that Concubine Ma is deliberately making such a scene because of Concubine Xiao Xu’s matter. This kind of thing, I, as a daughter, can’t help!” Ning Xueyan said politely but distantly.

Everyone in the mansion knows that Ning Zu’an now favors Concubine Xiao Xu the most. For the past few days, he has been staying at Concubine Xiao Xu’s place every day. The series of events that happened to Concubine Ma before, although she eventually escaped, but overall, she had a great relationship with it. In Ning Zu’an’s heart, the reason Madam Ling ended up in her current state was always because of Concubine Ma.

Also, although Concubine Ma solemnly stated that she didn’t give Ning Zu’an a green hat, but Madam Ling insisted on it at the time. Although there was no direct evidence, any man would be displeased and have a grudge. Moreover, Ning Zu’an now has Concubine Xiao Xu, and compared to Concubine Ma, Concubine Xiao Xu is a newcomer and appears clean, gentle, and obedient.

So no matter from which aspect, Concubine Ma can only be neglected!

There have always been servants in this mansion who stepped on those who were down. Seeing Concubine Ma’s decline, how could they still care about her? And the Old Madam was also angry that Concubine Ma made things so big. Concubine Ma’s days in the mansion now will only be to be a person with her tail between her legs, and will never be high-profile enough to go to Mingshuang Courtyard to cry and kneel.

The action was so abnormal…

“Fifth… Fifth Miss, I… I really have some private matters to ask Fifth Miss for help. It’s some things about my mother’s family, this… saying it here…” Concubine Ma said with tears in her eyes, holding her handkerchief and wiping away tears while hesitating. It was completely an appearance of having some reasons that she couldn’t say for family affairs.

Seeing Concubine Ma’s appearance of wanting to speak but stopping, the faces of some young girls and old women couldn’t help but reveal expressions of sympathy. It seemed that Concubine Ma’s family had some trouble. Perhaps Concubine Ma wanted to send some silver out, so she specially sought help from Fifth Miss. How embarrassing it would be to say such a thing in public.

Fifth Miss forcing people to say their family’s troubles, was really a bit excessive!

Ning Xueyan’s eyes were cold. Concubine Ma not only forced herself to accept this matter right from the start, but at this moment also deliberately spoke in such a tone, as if Ning Xueyan was really coercing her. Today, she was here to act at Mingshuang Courtyard.

“Concubine’s family is in trouble? That’s easy to say, as long as it’s not for the opera troupe!” Ning Xueyan suddenly smiled and walked closer to Concubine Ma, but when saying the last sentence, she lowered her voice. Her ink jade eyes fell on Concubine Ma’s face, and she smiled slightly, thoughtfully!

Concubine Ma’s complexion first flushed, and then turned pale, looking at Ning Xueyan with some panic.

It was then that she remembered that Ning Xueyan knew everything about her and that lover.

“Concubine Ma, please come in and speak!” Ning Xueyan politely moved aside, her hand slightly to the side, gesturing for her to come in, as if she hadn’t seen Concubine Ma’s pale complexion at all.

“No… I won’t go in. Fifth Miss, I… I suddenly remembered, I don’t know… I don’t know if what that person said is true. Maybe there’s nothing wrong with my family!” Concubine Ma almost subconsciously refused, her words disordered, and her composure was temporarily disrupted. How could she, how could she have forgotten such an important matter? She still had a weakness in Ning Xueyan’s hands.

This Fifth Miss was no longer the Fifth Miss of the past!

“Oh, so Concubine Ma’s family affairs are also rumors. Then you really have to inquire carefully, lest something really happens. Even if nothing happens, it will also turn into something. Concubine, rest assured, as long as you are still the Duke’s Mansion’s concubine, there will be no big problems in your family!” Ning Xueyan smiled slightly, with an implied meaning.

This sounded like Ning Xueyan was advising Concubine Ma to the others, but in Concubine Ma’s ears, it was another thunderbolt. As long as you are still the Duke’s Mansion’s concubine, there is no way there will be any big problems. In other words, if you are not the Duke’s Mansion’s concubine, things would be big!

“I… I… I’m fine now, thank you Fifth Miss for your help!” Concubine Ma almost fled in a panic, with her maidservant, and hurriedly bowed to Ning Xueyan, and turned to leave.

Ning Xueyan gave Xinmei, who was standing on the side, a look, and Xinmei followed without a sound.

The appearance of Concubine Ma, caused a sensation, and alarmed everyone in the garden. They originally thought it was something big, but it was just untrue news heard by hearsay. Big thunder, little rain, a head but no tail, and I don’t know what they were making, wouldn’t it be that Concubine Ma deliberately made a fuss again!

Especially her panicked appearance at the end, no matter how you look at it, it was a performance of a guilty conscience!

Concubine Ma had no mind to manage these things at this moment. Her heart was already in a mess. She had only thought about being able to escape from the Duke’s Mansion before. Only then did she realize that she was wrong. How could she, in a moment of heat, have obeyed that person’s instructions to do such a thing? And how could Fifth Miss be easy to provoke.

“Concubine Ma, why did you come back so quickly?” Only when she reached a secluded road, a voice with a few touches of affectation suddenly came from her ears.

It was the young girl from Third Young Lady’s side named Caifen, who expressed Third Young Lady’s meaning to Concubine Ma.

“You… you go tell Third Young Lady, I… I won’t leave the Duke’s Mansion!” Concubine Ma turned around and looked at Caifen seriously.

“Then are you willing to be neglected by the Duke from now on, and end up living less than a servant? These next few decades, you’ll always be like this, which is really a pity. With such a flower-like appearance, you are a first-class goods no matter where you are. If you leave the Duke’s Mansion, the world is so vast, how can anyone catch you!”

Seeing Concubine Ma refuse, Caifen’s expression turned cold, but then, with an excessively affectionate voice, she said.

From then on, always live in the Duke’s Mansion, but always be neglected by Ning Zu’an. When she is old and dies, no one will know that she rotted in the backyard of the Duke’s Mansion. Thinking of such an end, Concubine Ma clenched her hands tightly, no, she didn’t want to, she was still young, and she didn’t want to die in the backyard of the Duke’s Mansion at such a young age.

But to escape, it wasn’t that simple. Could Third Young Lady really help her?

Seeing Concubine Ma’s doubts, Caifen took two steps forward and specially leaned over to Concubine Ma’s ear and whispered, “Concubine, rest assured, our young lady will certainly help you, you also know that our young lady is now valued by the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince. In the future, no matter what, she will have the identity of a Prince’s Consort. Isn’t it still impossible to protect one person! Wouldn’t the Duke become estranged with our young lady because of such a small matter!”

Ning Qingshan’s current splendor, if she wanted to protect a concubine, indeed, there would be no problem! She is now favored by the two Princes, and this is no secret in the Duke’s Mansion. Compared to Ning Xueyan, who is nothing, Ning Qingshan does have a great advantage.

But the problem is that Ning Xueyan holds Concubine Ma’s lifeline! She dared not be an enemy of Fifth Miss!

“Third Young Lady really is willing to help me?” Concubine Ma asked hesitantly.

Caifen’s face turned cold: “Concubine, don’t you want a pie to fall from the sky? There is no gain without payment. Third Young Lady doesn’t help people without conditions. As long as you listen to our young lady’s instructions, you will certainly be able to leave safely, and our young lady can even take care of the paperwork for you!”

If you want to leave, no problem, but the premise is to do what Ning Qingshan instructed!

“But, Fifth… Fifth Miss, she is very powerful, I… I’m afraid of being discovered by her?” Concubine Ma said, stuttering with gritted teeth.

“Being discovered by her? So that’s why you didn’t say a few words at the door and retreated? If Third Young Lady knew about this, you would have no more opportunities, and from then on, you could only die in the Duke’s Mansion. It is said that the First Madam is about to come out again, without the Duke protecting you, what will you use to fight against the First Madam.”

Caifen’s face revealed a chilling smile, and the few white teeth flashing made Concubine Ma almost despair.

Hearing that she was going to tell Ning Qingshan, Concubine Ma grabbed Caifen’s hand and pleaded, “You… you don’t go tell Third Young Lady first, I’ll think about it, I’ll think about it.”

“Our young lady doesn’t have that much time for you to think. If it’s okay, then it’s okay, if it’s not okay, then it’s not okay. Our young lady said, even if you had something before, after you escape from the Duke’s Mansion, the Duke can’t find you, and what can he do to you? As for your family, as a dignified Duke, he won’t be so vulgar as to trouble a concubine’s family. The Duke’s Mansion can’t afford to lose this person.”

Caifen said according to Ning Qingshan’s instructions. This was what Ning Qingshan specially admonished, that if Caifen saw Concubine Ma come back looking ashamed, she should say so. Now it seems that the young lady really is prophetic, this Concubine Ma is just a useless goods…