The Devious First-Daughter

An eardrop!

A jade eardrop with rubies at the bottom!

The phoenix pattern on the eardrop with a golden hook could be seen clearly!

The pattern on this one looked clearer than that on the one she got from Mother Wang, and there were no other traces on this one. Now it was lying quietly in the sachet.

It really was that eardrop.

Now they were a pair in her hands, looking exactly the same.

This meant that what Wen Xueran said was right. She and Ning Ziying really were biological sisters, with the same mark and eardrops as well as two adoptive mothers who concealed their family backgrounds…

Ning Xueyan’s room was quiet for a long time. Mother Han waited outside her room in fear, and Lanning and Qingyu also waited outside. After a long while, they heard a peaceful voice from the room, “Qingyu.”

“I’m here.” Qingyu walked in hurriedly when she heard Ning Xueyan’s call.

In the room, Ning Xueyan sat peacefully with a natural expression. Although her mistress was still a little pale, she was usually like this, so Qingyu was relieved secretly.

“Go and ask Eunuch Ling, if I want to treat others to dinner, are there any families I must invite?” Ning Xueyan said lightly.

“Okay, I’m going to ask right now.” Qingyu knew that her mistress did this for the banquet, so she nodded and replied, ready to leave. When Mother Han came out with red eyes, she and Lanning were startled, wishing to go in and take a look, but she asked them not to and said that they should stay outside with her.

Seeing Mother Han’s look, she knew something was wrong. Now when she found her mistress was the same as usual, she was finally relieved.

“Ask Lanning to come in.” Ning Xueyan’s voice came from behind.

“Okay, I see.”

Ning Xueyan was now calm again, but a chill appeared and vanished in her eyes. No matter what happened in the past, that was just her life experience. She would investigate a few things bit by bit, but she had no interest in serving as others’ stepping-stone.

So many people plotted against her in her previous life, but she knew nothing about that, so she ended up in that situation. Although some people still wanted to plot against her in this life, she was no longer the one she had been.

No one should want to plot against her!

When Lanning came in, she especially brought Ning Xueyan a cup of tea, then she put the teacup in front of her, and observed her complexion before she was also relieved. She observed a little more carefully than Qingyu and found that the look of her mistress was sharp, which meant that she had made her decision.

Lanning admired her mistress so much. Since she served as her servant, her mistress had been advancing gradually and entrenching herself at every step until today. Since she had witnessed the whole process, she even more believed and admired her mistress. No matter what Mother Han had said to her mistress, her mistress must have made her decision, so she just needed to stand on the side of her mistress wholeheartedly.

“Lanning, go to the Bright Mind Garden in a while. Say I will hold a flower-admiring banquet, and ask if Princess Xun has anything to instruct me.” Ning Xueyan picked up the teacup and took a sip, looking indifferent. Although Commandery Princess Xianyun was now forbidden to leave her place by Ao Chenyi, the princess’s position of Ning Xueyan was not as justifiable as hers on the surface, so it was normal to notice her.

Besides, Yun Luoluo was also in the mansion. Although Yun Luoluo came to stay in Prince Yi’s Manor with the excuse of serving Commandery Princess Xianyun, she was a guest anyway. Thus, Ning Xueyan had to invite her.

“Okay, I’m going there right now.” Lanning nodded. Although the flower-admiring banquet was not to be held tomorrow, giving notice was a way to show enough courtesy. Even if others wanted to pick holes in courtesy later, they would not be able to get anything.

“Mistress, we might as well invite Mother Ruan to come here. She knows best about this backyard.” Lanning suggested after taking a few steps away.

“Okay. Invite Mother Ran to come here. I have something to tell her.” Ning Xueyan nodded and looked at Lanning with appreciation because she also had this idea. Mother Ruan was the confidant of Ao Chenyi, and she had been in charge of the backyard for so many years and knew quite well about the backyard of Prince Yi’s Manor. If something unusual happened in this period, she really needed Mother Ruan to give her notice.

After all, she had just married into Prince Yi’s Manor and was not very clear about many things. With Mother Ruan helping her watch the backyard, the effect would be much more obvious.

This was the first time she had held the flower-admiring feast. Many people were watching her, even including some of those in the palace. Naturally, she had to be more careful.

Qingyu returned after a short time, with a few words of Eunuch Ling.

“An invitation must be sent to the home of Chief Hua of the Imperial Academy. If the prince treats guests to dinner, he is sure to invite Chief Hua.”

“Chief Hua of the Imperial Academy?” Ning Xueyan pondered the name and felt that it was a bit familiar. If she remembered right, the fiancée of Ao Chenyi, the woman who didn’t marry him, was the daughter of the Hua Family. So many years after that, Ao Chenyi remained single just because of this reason. It was said that Chief Hua usually kept quite a low profile.

“Miss, Eunuch Ling means that most of those are to be invited to the flower-admiring banquet are surely young ladies, and you need to take care of the third daughter of Chief Hua of the Imperial Academy. In the past, it was his second daughter who was betrothed to the prince,” Qingyu said unhappily. No doubt, no matter who heard that her mistress had to take care of the younger sister of the prince’s previous fiancée, she would be unhappy.

“Is this what Eunuch Ling emphasized?” Ning Xueyan frowned slightly as her eyes glistened.

“Yes, Eunuch Ling said that it has been done this way in the past years, so he especially told you this, afraid that you might neglect it,” Qingyu said with a straight face, for she really didn’t like this proposal.

“Ask Mother Han to inquire about the third daughter of Chief Hua and see what kind of person she is. Just ask about it in the mansion.” Ning Xueyan nodded, and her watery eyes brightened. The lady was betrothed but didn’t marry her fiancé, but the general housekeeper of Prince’s Yi Manor bore the younger sister of Ao Chenyi’s ex-fiancée in mind, which meant that this was really unusual.

In the beginning, she didn’t mind the previous engagement of Ao Chenyi. After all, the young lady was said to have died of disease before getting on the bridal sedan chair. Truly, she was destined not to marry him! After that, Ao Chenyi used it as an excuse to dodge marriage, only because he was unwilling to let the emperor directly meddle in all his affairs. Therefore, people outside spread the rumor that Ao Chenyi loved this young lady so much that he remained single for so many years.

But Ning Xueyan now knew best about the real nature of Ao Chenyi!

If he had truly fallen in love with that young lady, he would have married her memorial tablet, and the princess’s position would have surely been her. On the one hand, this would stop the emperor from naming a princess for him; on the other hand, he would be able to leave a place for the lady in his heart. With a crazy disposition, he could absolutely do such a thing.

Therefore, there was no reason for Ao Chenyi to continue to take care of the daughter of Chief Hua, but how did Eunuch Ling know about the Third Young Lady? Besides, his tone sounded very warm toward her. In other words, the Third Daughter of the Hua Family should have even been in Prince Yi’s Manor more than once.

The death of the second daughter of the Hua Family was actually the end of her engagement with Prince Yi’s Manor. Then, why did the Third Young Lady Hua come to Prince Yi’s Manor? After savoring it a few times, Ning Xueyan found some other meanings.

Bright Mind Garden

“What? Your princess is going to hold a flower-admiring banquet?” Commandery Princess Xianyun’s face was not only cold but also faintly hideous. In her opinion, she was the princess of Prince Yi, so only she could hold the flower-admiring banquet in Prince Yi’s Manor. However, it was Ning Xueyan who was now in charge of the event, so how could she not have hatred or get angry? Only by refraining herself so hard did she not forget her manners at the scene.

“Yes, our princess is going to hold a flower-admiring banquet. We also want Second Young Lady Yun to attend it,” Lanning said calmly.

“I see!” These words almost came out of the slit between her teeth. She didn’t expect that her calculation finally benefited Ning Xueyan. Remembering this, Commandery Princess Xianyun gritted her teeth with so much hatred and had a freezing look in her eyes.

Pretending not to see her furious look, Lanning bowed respectfully and then left.

Ao Chenyi’s favored concubine was dead, and she was the one who had done the life-and-death struggle with the favored concubine. As a result, Ning Xueyan got profits, so how could she be willing to remain silent? She should have benefited from it. Even if Ning Xueyan didn’t die, she should be hated by Ao Chenyi for a lifetime and never win his favor.

No, she should never let Ning Xueyan hold the banquet peacefully, giving people an impression that Ning Xueyan was the most official mistress of Prince Yi’s Manor. But in fact, Ning Xueyan was just a consort. She was the mistress of Prince Yi’s Manor! How could Ning Xueyan take away her honor and dignity?

Ning Xueyan should never think about taking away the most official princess’s position she held!

“Qiu Huan, go to Second Young Lady, and say I have something to tell her.” Yun Luoluo was quite at odds with her now. It was diamond cut diamond when the two stayed together, and each time they parted unhappily, so Yun Luoluo usually stayed in her room.

“Okay, I’m going now.” Qiu Huan nodded. Not daring to trifle with it, she walked out hurriedly.

After a while, Yun Luoluo walked into the room of Commandery Princess Xianyun with unwillingness and an acrid smile and said, “Oh, what’s the matter with my eldest sister today? Why should my eldest sister want to see me? Didn’t you say that you don’t want to see my face again!”

As soon as she came in, Yun Luoluo began her ridicule. Commandery Princess Xianyun almost couldn’t suppress her anger, but she still tried to suppress it. This was an idiot, and she shouldn’t bother about her in case she lost her dignity.

“Luoluo, what happened in the past was my fault. In the current situation, no matter how much you hate me, what can you do? The result is this. We might as well think carefully about how to get you out of trouble. Anyway, my situation is just like this. This is Prince Yi’s Manor, and I am the princess of Prince Yi. He can’t do anything to me!”

Commandery Princess Xianyun put somewhat loneliness and sadness on her face, sighed, and even had a bitter smile on her lips.

Yun Luoluo was taken aback and didn’t know what was going on at the moment.

“Second sister, sit down. I have a plan. Maybe it can help you out of trouble, but I don’t know whether it will work or not. Even if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter. You just let me take the blame. Anyway, I am your elder sister. You just take this as my apology to you this time.” Commandery Princess Xianyun spoke more and more sincerely and looked up at Yun Luoluo with her tearful eyes, where there was only sadness.

“Eldest Sister…” Although she still showed a little vigilance on her face, Yun Luoluo had relaxed her expression and sat down slowly.