Chapter 442: Struggle, And More Struggle

Ning Ziyan’s days these few days were really difficult, more difficult than ever before. When she supported her maidservant’s hand and returned to her own courtyard, she discovered that her two knees had already swollen like steamed buns. This morning, because she did not serve Madam Xia well enough, she was forced to kneel until now; it was strange if her knees were not swollen.

“Young Madam, don’t be sad first. It’ll be better in a few days. Didn’t the Duke’s Mansion’s Eldest Young Master send a letter a few days ago telling you to rest assured? You can just endure for a few more days!” The personal old woman was her wet nurse, Madam Shen. She accompanied Ning Ziyan when she got married. Seeing the Eldest Young Lady, who was brought up from childhood and was pampered, being treated like this, she also felt a surge of anger.

It’s just because they see that the Eldest Young Lady’s current status is not that of a Direct Daughter, that they treat the Eldest Young Lady like this. They say that she did not serve well enough. In the past, when First Madam was still in charge of the Duke’s Mansion, how did they not hear Madam Xia say such things?

These few days, Ning Ziyan could be said to have seen enough of the various aspects of human life. At this moment, she was not in a hurry to curse. A trace of gloom flashed in her eyes, and she gritted her teeth: “Old woman, rest assured, I’m not in a hurry. Anyway, she is now on the mountain, life and death unknown. She hasn’t woken up in these few days. Maybe she won’t live. Even if Father and Grandmother consider Eldest Brother’s sake, they will also resolve this matter.”

“It’s best for Young Madam to think this way. Anyway, this matter is being handled by Eldest Young Master. We just need to wait for the news. Maybe we’ll get news in a moment.” Madam Shen saw that the Young Lady she brought up was so sensible, and her eye sockets also turned red. There were only others giving way to the Eldest Young Lady, when did the Eldest Young Lady actually be wronged to such a degree?

“Where is he?” Ning Ziyan looked around and asked the maidservant beside her. She was asking about Xia Yuhang.

“Eldest Young Master has been in the study and hasn’t come back. Just now, the boy servant came to say that Eldest Young Master wants to study hard. He won’t come over for lunch today. Let Young Madam use it herself.”

Eating by himself in the study again? A trace of anger flashed in Ning Ziyan’s eyes. Since Ning Yuling entered the mansion, Xia Yuhang had become increasingly indifferent to her. In the past, he would occasionally have a meal here. Now it was good, he didn’t come even for a day. Even if she went to invite him every day, the reply she got was just this. Lunch was like this, and dinner was like this as well.

Studying hard, not even able to participate in the Spring Examination, what’s the point of studying hard?

“Let’s go, we’ll go and send lunch to Eldest Young Master.” Ning Ziyan looked at the food basket beside her and gritted her teeth, she wanted to see how Xia Yuhang was studying in the study.

“Young Madam, your leg is injured like this, you still don’t need to go. It’s better to rest well.” Madam Shen comforted her while letting the maidservant apply medicine for her.

“No, I must go today.” Ning Ziyan said coldly. Since she married into the Xia Mansion, she hadn’t had a day of comfortable life. She originally thought that the two of them were in love before the marriage. After marrying, they would definitely be more harmonious, how could she have imagined that he would neglect her after the marriage, saying that he wanted to study, but actually went to Hanshan Temple to secretly meet that bitch.

After that, that bitch also entered the Xia Mansion, and in the end, even the child in her belly was gone because of that bitch. She originally thought that Xia Yuhang would definitely punish that bitch this time, but in the end, he actually took her as a concubine, officially giving her a status. Then, her own younger sister actually also entered the mansion. Thinking of this, Ning Ziyan was so angry that she wanted to vomit blood.

Her marriage seemed like a joke from beginning to end. The scandal has never stopped since the day she got married. Everything revolved around her marriage. She had been gritting her teeth and persevering, because she thought she had feelings for Xia Yuhang, but now, he was getting farther and farther away from her.

When did this start, it seemed to be the day she got married, or after she handled Ning Ziying, the handkerchief in her hand was twisted into a ball…

Seeing that she insisted on leaving, Madam Shen didn’t stop her. After she finished tidying up here, she didn’t have lunch either, and took two maidservants to the study outside.

Xia Yuhang’s study was not far from the Hanging Flower Gate. It was in a quiet location, it was the best location in the mansion, and the environment was also very elegant. It was when the spring flowers were in full bloom. The courtyard where the study was located was even filled with fresh flowers. A row of potted flowers and plants from the doorway, you could tell that they were carefully arranged. It was more than what she usually got here.

Originally, how many potted flowers and plants were sent inside each courtyard was also fixed. Especially for the men’s study, the location chosen would not be too many. How could it be made to look like a garden?

“Where did these flowers come from?” Ning Ziyan stood at the doorway, asking the boy servant who had just panicked and seemed to be reporting the news.

The boy servant saw the Young Madam coming, and before he could report the news, he was called down. Seeing that the Young Madam’s expression was not good, how could he not know that the Young Madam was in a bad mood? He answered cautiously: “Reporting to Young Madam, these were all sent by Concubine Ning. Concubine Ning said that Eldest Young Master is very tired from studying. Normally, he doesn’t come out of the study much, and he should look at the scenery more, so as not to hurt his mind and eyes, so she moved all the flowers from her own courtyard over here.”

What Concubine Ning was referring to was of course Ning Yuling.

It was actually Ning Yuling who sent them. Ning Ziyan’s hand trembled with anger. Concealing this from her, the legal wife, and privately sending things to Xia Yuhang’s study, as if she deliberately didn’t want Xia Yuhang to be well. So she did it secretly. How would others view her, the legal wife?

Suddenly, a burst of sweet laughter came from her ear, as if saying something, but because the voice was not loud, she couldn’t hear it very clearly, but even if she couldn’t hear it clearly, Ning Ziyan also knew that the voice was Ning Yuling’s. As sisters for more than ten years, how could she not be familiar with Ning Yuling’s voice?

This voice was clearly when she was acting cute to flatter, used especially, it sounded soft and delicate. In the past, when flattering the Old Madam, she had used this trick many times, and the Old Madam also liked her very much. So compared to herself, this eldest daughter, what the Old Madam liked more was Ning Yuling.

“Why is Concubine Ning inside?” Ning Ziyan’s complexion turned cold.

“Concubine Ning just came, and heard that Eldest Young Master hasn’t had lunch yet. Concubine Ning specially went to the kitchen to make a few dishes, and brought them over to have lunch with Eldest Young Master.” The boy servant looked at the large food basket held by the maidservant behind Ning Ziyan, and his complexion was somewhat unsightly, he hesitated.

Young Madam is clearly here to send lunch to Eldest Young Master as well. How is this good? Concubine Ning inside has already sent it in. They are now sitting together having lunch. If Young Madam goes in now, she will definitely be angry. If they knew that Young Madam was coming earlier, they wouldn’t have let Concubine Ning send it in.

Hearing that Ning Yuling was indeed still inside, this meant that she was having lunch with Xia Yuhang. Thinking about herself in the backyard, not only was she insulted by Xia Yuhang’s mother, but she also had lunch alone when she went back. They were doing well, the two of them were intimate together, how could she not bear this anger?

She pushed away the maidservant who was supporting her, and with an ashen face, she rushed inside.

“Young Madam, Young Madam, don’t be anxious, the servants will go and report.” The boy servant saw Ning Ziyan rushing in without saying a word, and knew that it was not good. He couldn’t help but raise his voice and shouted.

“Bold, if you dare to shout again and scare the Young Madam, I’ll break your legs.” One of Ning Ziyan’s maidservants stopped and sternly rebuked.

These words made the boy servant not dare to shout and remind the Eldest Young Master and Concubine Ning in the room. He only hoped that they had heard the voice just now, and had slightly restrained themselves a little, so they wouldn’t let the Young Madam bump into them later, and it would involve them, the servants.

Inside the room, Xia Yuhang was quietly having his meal, his complexion gloomy, and it was impossible to tell his joy and anger.

“Use this, this is what the servant specially asked the kitchen to prepare. Freshly available spring bamboo shoots. The original ones in the mansion weren’t very good. The servant asked people to go outside to find them. I heard that the spring bamboo shoots produced there were particularly good, and some Yun Noble people went there to order them, but they might not be able to get them.”

Ning Yuling was wearing a light pink skirt, and the delicate color was set off by this light pink, making her look even more beautiful. She was originally good-looking, and when she dressed up carefully, she had a special charm. Adding to this the slightly upturned corner of the mouth, and the soft and charming eyes, I’m afraid that any man would be captivated.

Moreover, she would occasionally lean over and, taking advantage of the opportunity to serve Xia Yuhang food, would touch him, and then sit down with a shy face. She was really gentle, and charming, and also wholeheartedly cared for him. Xia Yuhang’s eye color became more and more gentle, and sometimes he would also make a listening gesture. Although he didn’t say anything, just like this, it had already satisfied Ning Yuling.

This was much better than when she first entered the mansion. At that time, because of that painting, Xia Yuhang had given her a bad look on the first day. She now, of course, also knew that she had been set up, and this person who set her up was, of course, her own good sister, Ning Yuling. Ning Yuling now also recognized her own identity, and knew that she had to rely on Xia Yuhang if she wanted to gain a foothold in the mansion.

Therefore, of course, she was wholeheartedly flattering Xia Yuhang. As for Ning Ziyan, she had never taken her seriously. The news of Madam Ling’s recent trouble, of course, also reached her ears, but she didn’t think it had anything to do with her. Back on that day, when Madam Ling injured her face, and then ruined her appearance and sent her away, she felt that Madam Ling had abandoned her.

So now, how could she feel sad and anxious for her! Anyway, she was just a concubine. It was Ning Ziyan who would lose face, everyone was a concubine-born daughter, but Ning Ziyan was the legal wife, and it was not just Ning Ziyan who lost face, but the entire Xia Mansion. So, she had seen Madam Xia’s treatment of Ning Ziyan these days, and was happy about it.

And she also took advantage of these few days, when Ning Ziyan didn’t have time, she went to Xia Yuhang’s study every day. Now it seems that it was indeed effective, Xia Yuhang saw that she was no longer the same as before.

Suddenly hearing a shout from the boy servant outside, she frowned, she didn’t expect Ning Ziyan to still have the energy to run to the study now. However, what if she came, everyone was a concubine-born daughter, who was more noble than whom? It was also good that Ning Ziyan came, let her see who was the most favored woman.

Her heart was determined like this: “Eldest Young Master, try this, the servant specially made it, let’s see how it tastes?”

Ning Yuling stood up again, and again picked up a chopstick of dishes. Because the dish was far away, she tiptoed and when she picked up the dish to Xia Yuhang’s face, she became a little unsteady and leaned towards Xia Yuhang. Xia Yuhang indeed reached out and embraced her, and asked gently, “Be careful, are you injured?”

“No!” Ning Yuling said shyly, but did not leave Xia Yuhang’s embrace, but rather leaned closer to him with a shy face.

The door was suddenly pushed open, and Ning Ziyan, pale and furious, stood at the doorway, looking at the couple leaning on each other inside the door. Unable to control herself, she rushed in, walked over, grabbed Ning Yuling, and without rhyme or reason, gave her a slap…