The Devious First-Daughter

“Fifth Young Lady, you’re finally here. The First Madam has been talking about you these days, saying that you have not been here for a long time.” Mother Chen came out and welcomed Ning Xueyan with a smile, before she stepped into the room.

Madam Ling was sick. Ning Qingshan and Ning Xueyan were both her daughters, so they should be taking care of her when she was in bed. However, Madam Dowager did not like Madam Ling. She only said that the two Young Ladies were going to marry into the royal family and now had noble statuses. They were also in a hurry to prepare their dowries, so they did not have time to accompany her. She was even afraid that they would get sick, so she told them not to go to the Auspicious Clouds Courtyard.

Madam Dowager was the oldest person in the manor, so they had to listen to her. Besides, Madam Ling did not like Ning Qingshan and Ning Xueyan. She felt annoyed when she saw them, because her two biological daughters were a disappointment to her. And, there was one daughter whom she wanted to get rid of.

Although Ning Qingshan was under Madam Ling’s name, she had no relationship with Madam Ling at all. Madam Ling had nothing to do with her. In the past, she had tried to please Madam Ling because she wanted to be under Madam Ling’s name. But now, Madam Ling was useless. So, she pretended to obey Madam Dowager’s order and did not go to the Auspicious Clouds Courtyard to serve her.

Like Ning Xueyan, she would occasionally send someone to ask about her health. Anyway, Madam Dowager had been telling them not to go to the Auspicious Clouds Courtyard, so as not to get sick. Both of them obeyed Madam Dowager’s order. In this way, Madam Ling could not say that they were unfilial.

“Has Mother recovered from her illness? What is she doing now?” Ning Xueyan stopped and looked at Mother Chen, who was being overly enthusiastic and asked. Her shimmery eyes swept over the half-closed door with some doubts. It was so strange that Madam Ling pretended not to see Ning Ziyan, who was suffering such a great loss.

“First Madam has recovered a lot these days. She can’t sleep at night but sleeps more during the day. She just had some porridge. Now she is sleeping. If Fifth Young Lady wants to see her, you need to wait for a while. I’ll let you know when she wakes up.”

Mother Chen sighed. She looked sad and her eyes were slightly red. She deliberately wiped the corner of her eyes with her handkerchief.

“Is Madam Ling still sleeping? She did not hear the commotion outside? I pushed Ning Ziyan into the lotus pond. Mother Chen is just an older female servant. How could she not report this matter to Madam Ling? According to Madam Ling’s temperament, if Mother Chen dares to hide this matter, she does not have to stay in the Auspicious Clouds Courtyard anymore.”

Therefore, Ning Xueyan was sure that Madam Ling, who was in the room, was not asleep. Madam Ling was also aware of the incident earlier. It was Madam Ling who had asked Mother Chen to come out. Why was Madam Ling hiding in the room, and did not want to see her?

“Mother Chen, I don’t want to wake my mother up. The Third Prince came here earlier to check about the incident at the Cloud Reflection Courtyard. He asked me a lot of questions. Maybe someone else will come and see my mother later. After all, my mother is the hostess of the Lord Protector’s Manor, but my mother is still sleeping, so… forget it!”

Ning Xueyan raised her head and frowned. She seemed to be a little worried. After she finished speaking, she felt that since Madam Ling did not sleep well at night and was sleeping at this time, she would not disturb her. So, she decided to go back first. She moved her feet slightly and pretended that she was going back.

The Third Prince was investigating into the matter of the Cloud Reflection Courtyard. They might find the Auspicious Clouds Courtyard later. Mother Chen’s forehead was wet with sweat, and there was a hint of panic in her eyes. It meant that the matter of Cloud Reflection Courtyard would get serious. Such a big thing must be reported to the First Madam right away. Otherwise, if something really happened later, no one could afford it.

“Fifth Young Lady, wait a minute. I’m going to check whether the First Madam is awake or not. The First Madam can’t eat and sleep well because of the Cloud Reflection Courtyard incident. Fifth Young Lady, you must tell her what’s going on. Young Lady Ziying is a good Young Lady. How can something like this happen?”

Mammy Chen was anxious. She reached out to stop Ning Xueyan and said with a smile.

“She, she’s still sleeping, isn’t she? It’s rare for her to fall asleep. It’s not good to wake her up.” Ning Xueyan waved her hand and kept walking. She seemed to think of something and hurried out. “Mother Chen, I will not bother my mother. Just now, I told the Third Prince that I wanted to have a rest because I was feeling uncomfortable. If the Third Prince comes here and sees me later, it won’t be good.”

“Fifth Young Lady, it’s okay. You came here to see First Madam and you are fulfilling your filial duty. Even if the Third Prince sees you here, he will only say that you are filial. It’s not bad.”

Seeing that she was determined to leave, Mother Chen winked at the maid standing beside her and stopped Ning Xueyan.

The matter of Cloud Reflection Courtyard was so serious that she dared not delay. Besides, the Fifth Young Lady, an unmarried girl, knew nothing. Even if she was allowed to go in, she could not find anything. Just now, she was afraid that the First Madam would be against the Fifth Young Lady because of the Eldest Young Lady’s matter, so she deliberately exaggerated her condition.

She asked First Madam to pretend to be asleep and not to see her. On the one hand, it was not suitable to have a conflict with the Fifth Young Lady. On the other hand, she was afraid that the Fifth Young Lady would find something. But now thinking about it, it was really worrying.

The maid standing beside them was also clever. When she saw Mother Chen’s wink, she hurried in and reported to Madam Ling. Everyone in their courtyard knew that the Eldest Young Lady was talking to the First Madam just now. It had only been a while. How could she fall asleep?

“Is there nothing wrong?”

Ning Xueyan seemed to be persuaded by Mother Chen. She stopped and frowned, looking hesitant.

“There is nothing wrong. Instead, the Third Prince will praise you for being filial. You’re not feeling well, yet you still thought about the First Madam.” Mother Chen wanted to ask Ning Xueyan to stay. So, she had to say something pleasant.

While they were talking, the maid came out and walked to Ning Xueyan with a smile. She bowed to Ning Xueyan and said, “Fifth Young Lady, the First Madam is awake. She heard that you’re here, so she asked me to invite you to go in.”

“Fifth Young Lady, you see. The First Madam will ask for you when she is awake. Fifth Young Lady, please.” The maid’s words helped Mother Chen out of the predicament. She immediately smiled at Ning Xueyan politely.

“Since my mother is awake, I have to see her.” Ning Xueyan turned around, went up the steps, and went inside. Qingyu followed her.

When the maid lifted the curtain, a rush of hot and fragrant air came out. It was too strong and made people feel nauseated. Ning Xueyan herself could blend the fragrance of flowers, so she was sensitive to all kinds of scents. Immediately, she smelled something else, like a medicinal or fishy smell. But when she sniffed the air again, she could not smell anything now.

Madam Ling slept in the inner room because she was sick. The maid led Ning Xueyan into the inner room. Ning Xueyan helped Qingyu to enter the room. The smell in the room was stronger, but she could smell herbal medicines. Madam Ling was sick, so it was normal to have the scent of medicine in her room. But after entering the room, Ning Xueyan’s sensitive nose again smelled that fishy smell, which was much stronger, and not as faint as before.

Ning Xueyan had been here before when Madam Ling was sick. At that time, although there was a smell of medicine in the room, it was not fragrant. How could a sick person be in the mood to make the room so fragrant? Moreover, it was three or four times stronger than that of an ordinary fragrance.

Ning Xueyan pressed Qingyu’s shoulder silently. With her bright eyes, she glanced at a censer in the corner. There was an incense stick in it, but it had been extinguished. Qingyu got Ning Xueyan’s hint and also saw the censer. She pressed Ning Xueyan’s hand a little forcefully, indicating that she understood.

“Fifth Girl, there you are. Sit down. I’m not in good health, and I feel the smell of medicine is too strong, so I scented the room. It may not smell good.”

Madam Ling was wearing underclothes and leaning against the bed. She did not look good. With her hair hanging down loosely, she looked to be in low spirits. When she saw Ning Xueyan coming in, she forced a smile.

“Mother, you’ve been taking medicine in this room all the time, so the smell of the medicine is naturally strong. You can use the fragrance to lessen some of the smell. It’s a good idea.” Ning Xueyan smiled and said. Then she sat down on a chair that Mother Chen had pulled over. Qingyu stood behind Ning Xueyan.

Seeing a maid coming in with the tea, she hurriedly reached out to pick it up and said, “Sister Qingyu, be careful, the tea is hot.”

The maid who served the tea said in a low voice.

Qingyu nodded with a smile, indicating that she understood. She took the tea and handed it to Ning Xueyan. Somehow, she tripped and poured out all the tea. Ning Xueyan stood up in a panic, took a step back, and brought down the chair she was sitting on. The table behind the chair was also knocked down.

For a time, some of the scattered things on the table fell. With the tea that had been poured just now, the room was in a mess. The incident came as a surprise to all of them. When they saw it, it was too late to stop it.

Ning Xueyan took Qingyu’s hand and took two steps backward. Then she apologized to Madam Ling, who was sitting up, “Mother, my maid is ignorant. Please forgive her, Mother.”

“First Madam, it’s my fault. I’ll clean it up for you immediately.” Qingyu was so scared that her face turned pale. She hurriedly turned around, took a rag from the side, and went to deal with the things on the ground.

“It’s okay. Let Mother Chen get her servants to deal with it!” The veins on Madam Ling’s forehead twitched. She tried not to throw the teacup she had drunk from before, at Ning Xueyan. She said this with a forced smile on her face.

“Yes, Fifth Young Lady. Please come here and talk to First Madam first. I’ll do it.” Mother Chen also came to her senses at this time. She took the rag from Qingyu and asked the maid who delivered the water to bring Ning Xueyan a brocade stool. Then, she requested Ning Xueyan to sit down. She and her maid hurried to deal with the things on the ground.

Qingyu was helping them at the side, and she also seemed to be at a loss. The scene was a bit messy.

“Fifth Young Lady, the maid said that you met the Third Prince just now. Isn’t he going to marry the Third Young Lady soon? How come he cannot wait and had to come and see the Third Young Lady?” Madam Ling forced herself to pay attention to this matter and said, with a fake smile. This was the reason why she asked Ning Xueyan to come in.