The Devious First-Daughter

“But… but this doesn’t mean that Mammy Luo and Mammy Xing have met!” Ning Qingshan could only insist on this, and said with a forced smile.

“Are you Mammy Xing?” Ning Xueyan gently turned to Mammy Xing. Her jet-black eyes were like pieces of ice. Seeing that, Mammy Xing lowered her eyes, and replied in a low voice, “Yes!”

Mammy Xing felt regretful at this time. If she had known that the Fifth Young Lady would be so difficult to deal with, she would not have accepted Nanny Luo’s money and promised to deal with this matter. She looked like a hard nut to crack. Up to now, she was still calm and graceful, which completely overshadowed third Young Lady, who was said to be the one most likely to become the Third Prince’s wife.

Could it be that the rumors were wrong? The Fifth Young Lady standing in front of her had a legal wife’s demeanor. The Third Young Lady, who always pretended to be stupid, seemed inferior, when compared to the Fifth Young Lady.

“I heard that most of the servants in the manor were sent to the manor by you during these two years?” Ning Xueyan smiled and asked her gently, as if the atmosphere was not that tense.

“Yes… they were sent by me.” Hearing that she did not ask about what had happened before, Mammy Xing let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

“Grandmother, Xinmei did not say that she saw Mammy Xing following the Mammy. Why is Mammy Xing so sure that it’s Mammy Luo? It’s said that Mammy Luo went to the nunnery with Third Sister three years ago. However, Mammy Xing did business in the mansion only two years ago. How could she tell that it was Mammy Luo at a glance? She denied that she saw Mammy Luo before we spoke?”

Ning Xueyan said softly. Her voice was neither loud nor harsh, but it had a hint of sarcasm.

Her words made Mammy Xing feel uneasy and nervous. Her face was pale, and her body trembled so much that she could hardly stand.

Madam Dowager’s face darkened because she did not expect it to be like this. It was not Ning Xueyan but Ning Qingshan, who was the schemer. Ning Qingshan lured Ning Xueyan’s servant out to cover up. She sent a servant to talk to Mammy Xing alone. As for what she had said before, she must have spoken to Mammy Xing.

“Grandmother, I don’t know anything about Mammy Luo. I’ve been in the courtyard all the time, and I don’t even know when Mammy Luo left.” Regardless of Mammy Luo’s upbringing, Ning Qingshan shifted the blame squarely onto Mammy Luo’s shoulders, just like what Xia’er did before.

“Guards, come over and beat this older female servant” Ning Zu’an finally could not help shouting. Two guards came over and gave her two slaps. Then, they kicked her out of the room. One of the guards pulled at her clothes and went out, while the other slapped and kicked her from time to time.

Ning Qingshan’s face was pale. She looked up at Ning Xueyan, who was still looking at her gently, as if what she had just done was just a farce.

“Grandmother, I…” Ning Qingshan raised her head and looked at Madam Dowager timidly. She wanted to make another move.

“Stop it. Go.” Madam Dowager was so angry that everything turned dark before her eyes. There was no doubt to this matter. First, Ning Qingshan deliberately mentioned the maid. Then, she brought Mammy Xing here, and Mammy Xing said something. Coupled with Ning Qingshan’s words, how could Madam Dowager, who had lived through two dynasties, not understand?

It was Ning Qingshan who envied Ning Xueyan and set up a trap on purpose. Otherwise, a mammy would not have dared to frame her master. This reminded Madam Dowager of the event that happened when Ning Qingshan had just returned to the Lord Protector’s Manor. At that time, she lost a servant. Unexpectedly, she had not been smart. She thought that Ning Qingshan, who was not her biological daughter, was the most intelligent and the most promising one among her granddaughters. But now, what was going on?

Madam Dowager never expected that Ning Qingshan would frame her. If it was not for Third Prince who supported Ning Qingshan, she would slap her directly.

“Yan’er, Shan’er, you can leave now!” Ning Zu’an was calm. He waved his hand at Ning Qingshan and Ning Xueyan, indicating that they should leave.

“Yes.” Ning Xueyan did not hesitate. She bowed to Madam Dowager and Ning Zu’an and went out.

Ning Qingshan wanted to say something, but when she saw the Madam Dowager’s livid face, she knew that the Madam Dowager would not listen to whatever she said. Fortunately, she believed that Madam Dowager would not punish her. She was not Ning Xueyan, a good-for-nothing orphan girl. She was about to become the Third Prince’s wife, which was good enough for Madam Dowager.

But thinking of the possible consequences of this matter, she immediately turned pale. What she feared most was not Madam Dowager, but Ning Zu’an. But when she saw Ning Zu’an’s gentle but gloomy face, she felt scared. She wanted to eliminate Ning Zu’an’s suspicion in this matter, but unexpectedly, Ning Xueyan turned the tables on her.

Ning Xueyan was so cunning that she let the maid follow Mammy Luo. Initially, as long as Madam Dowager suspected Ning Xueyan, the maid who went to Ning Zu’an’s study to check would become Ning Xueyan’s maid. Now everything was over, and Ning Zu’an would doubt her intentions. Thinking of the consequences, she was scared.

“No, I must tell my aunt about it and let her find a solution. I can’t let Ning Zu’an find out about anything.”

Thinking of this, Ning Qingshan no longer hesitated. She hurriedly turned around and walked out. As soon as she reached the door, she heard the sound of porcelain breaking. She knew that Madam Dowager was still angry and was smashing things. She dared not look back. She hurriedly took two steps and lifted the curtain to go out.

After throwing a cup of tea, the Madam Dowager was still trembling with anger. She did not expect that a little girl would frame her. During the past few years, she treated this ungrateful granddaughter as her own and supplied her with food and other things. She did not expect that she would plot against her.

Ning Zu’an frowned and comforted Madam Dowager. “Mother, don’t be angry. I felt strange when Mammy Xing came here and said that there was something wrong with the maids at the same time when something happened in the front yard.”

“Guards, beat Mammy Luo to death!” Madam Dowager pounded the table with a cold face and growled.

“Wait, Mother, she will soon become the Third Prince’s wife.” Ning Zu’an stopped the impulsive Madam Dowager, waved his hand, and asked Mother Qin to take other servants away.

“If so, she will think that the Lord Protector’s Manor is easy to bully?” The Madam Dowager gritted her teeth and snarled. She was angry with Ning Qingshan now. Madam Dowager never thought that she treated her good intentions as maliciousness. At the thought of that, she was furious.

“Of course, it’s not easy to bully the Lord Protector’s Manor, but she came here well-prepared. But now, it’s not the right time to attack her. The Third Prince and Honored Consort Ya have become her supporters.” Ning Zu’an did not look good, but at least he could stay calm.

This was not a simple struggle in the backyard. How could Ning Qingshan know that there was something in his study room? How did she dare to send someone to search? It seemed that Madam Dowager had chosen the maid for Ning Qingshan. If she had no supporter, how could Ning Qingshan do such a thing?

“Mother, I’ll go to the study. You don’t have to kill that older female servant. She will still be the daughter of the Lord Protector’s Manor when she enters the Third Prince’s Manor.”

Thinking of the documents in the study, Ning Zu’an could not calm down. He stood up and took his leave. The reason why he took her in was not because of her appearance. Instead, the person who sent her here was prestigious, so he had to accept her. Did Grand Tutor Ya have no intention?

He said that she was an orphan of a military colleague. However, many people died in the battle. Where did Grand Tutor Ya find this child?

Ning Zu’an had never doubted these things before, but now he began to be suspicious.

Mammy Luo’s punishment was meted out when Ning Qingshan arrived at Foggy Courtyard. She would be beaten 20 times for instigating the Third Young Lady to be disrespectful toward her parents.

The two older female servants from the Auspicious Fortune Hall were ferocious. They tied Mammy Luo down and brought her to the garden to give her a beating, without letting her say anything else.

Initially, this kind of punishment of beating people would not be carried out in the garden, for fear of disturbing the master. But now, Mammy Luo was tied up in the yard and was beaten until she screamed. Even Caifen, who had always been acid-tongued, was so scared that her face turned pale. She twisted her handkerchief with her fingers, and could not say a word.

“Young Lady… we… we…” When Mammy Luo screamed for the last time, suddenly the courtyard fell silent. After a while, Caifen roused herself. She looked at Ning Qingshan blankly, and shivered as cold sweat ran down her forehead. She felt as if she were at death’s door.

“Third Young Lady, we have carried out the punishment of flogging. Please check” The older female servants’ deep voices came from outside.

Ning Qingshan moved her almost numb legs and helped Caifen to stand up, with a gloomy face. This was Madam Dowager’s warning. The crime of ” unfilial piety” was enough to make her have no room to plead for Mammy Luo. As for hitting Mammy Luo in her courtyard and the so-called check, it was the Madam Dowager’s counterattack.

Madam Dowager was telling her that as long as she was the daughter of Lord Protector’s Manor, she had to cooperate with the Lord Protector’s Manor. Otherwise, this charge would be enough to pull her down from the high position.

Ning Qingshan realized that her marriage with the Third Prince had something to do with the Lord Protector’s Manor backup. Otherwise, why did he not marry Ya Moqin? So, she could not lose Madam Dowager and Ning Zu’an’s favor. She could not afford to break off ties with them, so she had to obey the order to check it.

She struggled as she walked outside and saw Mammy Luo lying on the bench, with her body all bloodied. If she had not seen her move occasionally, she would have thought that she was dead.

“Thank you for my grandmother’s warning. Please tell her that it’s all my fault. I beg her pardon for being young and ignorant. I was blinded by jealousy.” Ning Qingshan slipped from Caifen’s hand and fell to the ground. Suddenly, she burst into tears in front of the two older female servants.

“Third Young Lady, we will inform Madam Dowager about what you have said.” The two older female servants did not expect Ning Qingshan to forget herself. They steadied themselves after taking two steps back. Then, they looked at each other and said this to Ning Qingshan. Finally, they left without waiting for Ning Qingshan’s reply…