Chapter 219: A Premeditated Play

Third Prince came and went, and moreover, took away a maidservant of Ning Qingshan. Watching the Third Prince leave, Ning Huaiyuan didn’t even bother with Ning Qingshan, who was soft on the ground and couldn’t get up for a while. He strode inside; he must tell Grandmother this matter and let Grandmother decide.

As for Concubine Ma’s matter, who cares about such a small matter like Concubine Ma now!

“Fifth Younger Sister…” Ning Qingshan saw that Ning Huaiyuan didn’t pay attention to her, and immediately turned to Ning Xueyan, her complexion sorrowful. She also thought of her own situation at this time. There was quite a few people watching the fun at the main entrance just now. Although it was not clear what happened inside, but now she made herself look so embarrassed, it was obvious that she had something wrong.

Not only did the Third Prince ignore her, but even Ning Huaiyuan didn’t bother with her. If Ning Xueyan didn’t pay attention to her, would her reputation still matter in the future rumors? Others would certainly think that she had done something vicious, otherwise why would it be so embarrassing and no one would care about her.

She had always been self-proclaimed in her status, and now she had to take the initiative to keep Ning Xueyan.

As long as Ning Xueyan stayed, she would eventually have a reason to explain this matter.

“Older Brother, I’ll go with you to see Grandmother, and by the way see if Concubine Ma is there!” But before she could speak, Ning Xueyan unexpectedly took two steps forward, closely following Ning Huaiyuan’s footsteps, and went into the Mansion without even paying attention to her.

Ning Qingshan’s complexion immediately turned ashen, looking at the two people walking away, and then looking at the mocking gazes of the others inside and outside the Mansion Gate, her face turned from green to purple, and purple to green. With Nurse Luo’s help, she stood up, gritting her teeth, and resentfully looked at Ning Xueyan’s back. The look in her eyes was gloomy and cold, filled with deep hatred.

Unexpectedly, she was escaped by Ning Xueyan again, how could she be willing!

Ning Xueyan didn’t pay attention to Ning Qingshan’s gaze behind her, which could not wait to devour her, following Ning Huaiyuan’s footsteps: “Older Brother, is there anything strange about the jade pendant in the Third Prince’s hand? Why is the Third Prince so angry?”

Actually, this was indeed what she wanted to know, deliberately rushing to speak before Ning Qingshan, on the one hand, of course, not to let Ning Qingshan’s scheme succeed, on the other hand, it was for that jade pendant. Could the origin of that jade pendant really be what she thought, and not what Ao Mingyu gave to Ning Qingshan?

Originally, the words she had spoken to Concubine Ma were to scare Concubine Ma! But now it seemed as if it was true!

“I don’t know. The Third Highness is angry, and I don’t want to ask.” Ning Huaiyuan shook his head, answering impeccably. His handsome eyebrows furrowed, and his gaze unconsciously shifted, falling on Ning Xueyan’s face, with an unclear meaning in his eyes.

“Then, Older Brother, do you plan to tell Grandmother about this?” Ning Xueyan seemed to not see the gloominess in Ning Huaiyuan’s eyes.

“Well, the Third Highness is angry. Grandmother needs to know. You go back to your Mingshuang Courtyard first!” Ning Huaiyuan knew at a glance that he didn’t want to say anything to Ning Xueyan, directly dismissing her. His sharp eyes glanced at Ning Xueyan and said coldly.

“But Concubine Ma’s matter, I must go and tell Grandmother clearly, so that Grandmother doesn’t really listen to others’ words and think I am committing High Treason, and want to let Concubine Ma go.” Ning Xueyan hesitated for a moment, but she was not dismissed by him, still following him with her footsteps.

Even if Ning Huaiyuan quickened his footsteps, she didn’t fall behind.

“Fifth Younger Sister, Grandmother doesn’t have time to handle Concubine Ma’s matter for the time being. You should go back to Mingshuang Courtyard first. As for what happened at the door, I will tell Grandmother clearly.” Ning Huaiyuan suddenly stopped his footsteps, turned around, and looked at Ning Xueyan, who was slightly panting, and said.

That matter at the doorway could not be concealed from people. Originally, he thought Ning Qingshan was smart, so she had someone tell him to arrange for a carriage. He didn’t care, and even let him come to the doorway to watch the farce, and he also went along. Now he realized that the smart Ning Qingshan in his memory, who had lived in the Nun’s Abbey for three years, didn’t seem so smart!

Rather, this Fifth Younger Sister in front of him, from the first time they met, had caused him to feel shock, and it was completely different from the appearance in his memory!

“Okay, then thank you, Older Brother!” Ning Xueyan nodded, knowing when to stop, and knew that this was indeed not the best time to see the Old Madam.

Ning Qingshan’s matter, no, one should say that Ning Qingshan’s jade pendant looked like it had a great story, and Ning Huaiyuan obviously smelled the Ambergris on it, and also saw the pattern on it. There should be a secret here that she didn’t know, or it was really related to the Previous Dynasty.

The Previous Dynasty’s Military Tally was possibly in Ning Huaiyuan’s hand, and Prince Yi, Ao Chenyi, was looking for it!

This jade pendant that Ning Qingshan took out could also be from the Previous Dynasty. It seemed that it not only caused a change in Ao Mingyu, but also caused a great shock to the Duke’s Mansion!

This matter was originally none of her business, but now she had to take care of it. Since she had agreed to Ao Chenyi to find the Previous Dynasty’s Military Tally, she would definitely not fail her trust. Moreover, in the current situation, the more mysterious Ning Qingshan was, the more difficult she was to deal with. Originally, today, no matter what, she would make Ao Mingyu angry. The things before, plus the things today, were enough for anyone to see clearly Ning Qingshan’s viciousness.

But in the end, he unexpectedly lightly let Ning Qingshan go, only taking away a maidservant, which was really hard to understand.

Ao Mingyu’s appearance didn’t look like he let her go because he cared about Ning Qingshan. Even if he concealed it very well, Ning Xueyan could still see the trace of disgust in his eyes, but if it wasn’t for this reason, why did he let Ning Qingshan go?

What else was he concealing!

Could it be that this jade pendant was the Previous Dynasty’s Military Tally?

Ning Xueyan, sitting under the window, couldn’t help but have a sudden whim, but immediately shook her head. Since Ao Mingyu said that the Previous Dynasty’s Military Tally was in Ning Huaiyuan’s hand, there must be a certain principle, and it was impossible for it to appear in Ning Qingshan’s hand.

Moreover, if this was the Military Tally, Prince Yi was looking for it, and Ao Mingyu would certainly also be looking for it, but just now Ning Xueyan saw clearly that Ao Mingyu, who was holding the jade pendant, had no joy on his face, and his hand was tightly pressing on the jade pendant, the dragon shape carved on it was half suppressed. If one was not familiar with the pattern, they wouldn’t know that this jade pendant was a Dragon Carving jade pendant at all.

Ao Mingyu had disgust, cold and dark, and surprise on his face at the time, and even a hint of Killing Intent, but there was no joy at all!

And that hint of surprise also didn’t seem to be because he suddenly saw this jade pendant. Could it be that Ao Mingyu knew that Ning Qingshan had this jade pendant, that it was really given by him or Noble Consort Ya, but what was the meaning of that disgust and killing intent.

Or, she really should have an understanding of the Previous Dynasty. Before, when she was Ning Ziying, she seemed to be completely detached from the world. Before, when she was in her hometown in Jiangnan, her Mother, Father, and anyone in her family had never mentioned the Previous Dynasty to her. If it wasn’t for entering the Capital, she wouldn’t even know that the so-called Previous Dynasty had only ended a little more than a decade ago.

And after entering the Capital, she heard some anecdotes of the Previous Dynasty from Xia Yuhang from time to time, but she didn’t care at the time. The so-called Previous Dynasty seemed very far away from her!

But now, she found that the Previous Dynasty was very close to her, so close that it was almost within reach, but yet she could see it and couldn’t touch it, everything was like being shrouded in fog.

“Lan Ning, has Nurse Han come back?” Ning Xueyan touched her dull forehead, took a deep breath, and turned to Lan Ning, who was standing quietly behind her. She had returned to the Mingshuang Courtyard and entered this state of contemplation for a long time. After Lan Ning had the others go out, she had been standing behind her, silently accompanying her.

“Young Miss, Nurse Han came back just now. Seeing that you were thinking about a problem, she didn’t come in. You wait a moment, and the Servant Girl will go and call her immediately.” Lan Ning nodded, turned and went out, and in a moment, she called in Nurse Han, who had been waiting outside the door.

“Young Miss, are you asking about Madam’s matter?” As soon as she entered the door, Nurse Han directly asked straight to the point.

“Before, Ning Lingyun once said that I was a rebellious daughter, was it because of Mother?” Ning Xueyan nodded and asked thoughtfully. The tone and appearance of Ning Lingyun’s words at that time indicated that it was not just a saying, and there was also Ning Zuan’s attitude, trying to hide something.

“Young Miss, you don’t ask, and the Old Servant won’t mention it. Madam is the Direct Daughter of the Previous Dynasty’s Minister of War, and is one of the few Noble Ladies of the Previous Dynasty. The Ming family, has been passed down for hundreds of years, is a true Noble Families, far from being comparable to those who now consider themselves aristocratic.”

Hearing this, Nurse Han said indignantly: “The Duke was just a small official in the army at the time. If it wasn’t because he married Madam, how could he have been promoted to General? Of course, he couldn’t have, at the last moment, betrayed the Previous Dynasty and become a Noble Person of the New Dynasty, and in the end, he even thought of a way to pull Madam down from the position of Legal Wife.”

“You mean, it was because of Mother that he has his current status?” Although Ning Xueyan knew that the Ming family had an extraordinary background, she didn’t expect that she was of such an origin. A Noble Lady from a century-old family, marrying an ordinary small official, this was originally not on the same parallel line, and what was even more coincidental was the change of the Imperial Dynasty. That man who was not on the same parallel line unexpectedly leaped to become a New Nobility, and the original Daughter of a Noble Family, instead, had a rebellious identity.

The Imperial Dynasty changed, and the winner becomes king. Who could have imagined this earth-shattering change, which brought about the absolute reversal of identity, so Madam Ming’s identity was not suitable, the Heaven’s Proud Daughter of that year, now, could become an obstacle in his official career…

That was why there would be such an end.

“What about Madam Ling?” Ning Xueyan seemed to have grasped something in her mind, stopped and then asked.

“Before the Duke married Madam, he repeatedly guaranteed in front of Sir that he would only marry Madam as his wife in this life, and there would be no Concubine or Concubine, wholeheartedly seeking to marry Madam. In order to marry Madam, he even knelt for two days and two nights at the door of the Minister’s study, and finally he couldn’t support himself and fainted. Madam was heartbroken and knelt in front of the Minister’s door, saying that if she couldn’t marry the Duke, she would just kneel to death in front of the Minister’s door.”

Thinking of that scene of the year, tears flashed in Nurse Han’s eyes. Madam of that year was so pampered, she was the most famous socialite in the Capital, and was also a close friend of the Empress. At that time, so many talented young men sought to marry Madam. If it wasn’t for Ning Huaiyuan performing such a sad drama at the door of the Minister’s study, moving Madam, how could the Minister have let him marry Madam.

But who knew, this was all acting! A premeditated play!