His voice was cold and indifferent, as if he didn't know that his words dictated the lives of hundreds of people.
Furthermore, the words of the middle-aged man made it clear that the middle-aged man had not communicated with the emperor before killing the officials of the royal court.
The Emperor was the supreme ruler of a country. This person dared to directly take the life of a minister without reporting to the Emperor. It could be seen how arrogant and presumptuous he was.
"Yes, Your Highness!" The guards didn't dare to say more. They nodded respectfully and left.
Ao Chenyi stood up and walked to the window. He looked out of the window with his cold eyes. Suddenly, he seemed to find something interesting. He smiled and said meaningfully, "What an interesting little thing!"
His gaze fell on Ning Xueyan, who was walking slowly while supporting Qingyu. He heard that in order to gain the trust of the old woman in the Lord Protector's Manor, this little girl tormented herself and got sick again. Now that she had not recovered from her illness, she came out to torment someone again!
"Your Highness, do you want me to bring her to you?" The eunuch standing on the side saw Ao Chenyi showed a rare smile of interest, so he flattered him.
"Forget it. It's rare to have fun. I have to play with her slowly. I don't want to break her!" Ao Chenyi shook his hand. His long eyelashes fell, making his handsome face look like the Shura in hell, cold and bloodthirsty. What a bold and interesting little girl. She didn't show any mercy when she tried to hurt herself again and again.
Hearing Prince Yi's lazy laughter, the guards and eunuchs were all frightened! It was not a good sign to make this man feel interesting.
Ning Xueyan didn't know that she had attracted a bloodthirsty devil.
She was walking along the path to the bamboo forest. On one side, there were tall bamboos intersecting with each other, while on the other side, there was a winding path. Sure enough, it was a very quiet and secluded place. Qingyu helped Ning Xueyan to sit on a slightly flat stone to rest. It should be the time for the Third Prince to come to the bamboo forest. In order to avoid those charming young ladies in the front yard, the Third Prince had been hiding here every day at this time.
In her past life, Ning Xueyan learned from Xia Yuhang that the Third Prince was fond of bamboo, especially those in the Cold Mountain Temple. He even built a small thatched hut in the depths of the bamboo forest. Every time the Third Prince visited the Cold Mountain Temple, he would take a nap there.
Xia Yuhang was a bad man, but he was talented and appreciated by the Third Prince. So he knew some of the Third Prince's hobbies. Ning Xueyan had a feeling that the relationship between the Third Prince and the Xia Yuhang was not simple.
His finger lightly stroked the zither, emitting a clear and melodious sound. In this empty bamboo forest, the Third Prince, who was taking a stroll, heard the sound and stopped. He frowned and walked towards the source of the sound.
"Young Lady, you haven't fully recovered yet. Why do you want to come here? I can see that there are only a few bamboos here, which are not as beautiful as the chrysanthemums over there. If Young Lady really can't lie down, you can go to see the chrysanthemums with those other girls!" Qingyu mumbled as she handed the zither to Ning Xueyan.
The autumn wind was bleak and the bamboo forest was lush. It was not a good place for a person who had been sick for a long time to relax.
Ning Xueyan coughed in a low voice with a handkerchief and said with a smile, "Let's stay here. It's good here. When I was in the Bright Frost Garden, I was always locked in the yard. I couldn't even see a bamboo. It would be great to see such a bamboo forest. Although the bamboo is not as beautiful as the chrysanthemum, it shows the strength of character."
"What is the strength of character? I don't understand. I just feel cold. Young Lady, you haven't fully recovered. If you get sick again, what should we do? Madam Dowager has ordered that you must get well. If you miss the chrysanthemum festival of the Imperial Concubine, it will be a big deal. "Qingyu said with displeasure.
"It doesn't matter!" Looking at Qingyu's angry face, Ning Xueyan couldn't help laughing. She lightly flicked her fingers twice and finally stopped, feeling a little weak. "I have my second sister. You are the one that the Lord Protector's Manor expects the most. If I … if I really want to get married, I'd rather be an ordinary person. I'd rather live a peaceful and stable life. It's good enough that no one bullies us!"
"Second Young Lady? Fifth Young Lady, if the prince really likes Second Young Lady and becomes his concubine, he will bully you more in the future. " Thinking of Ning Yuling's bullying of Ning Xueyan, Qingyu couldn't help but become more angry. Except for that time, Ning Yuling had done many things to hurt Ning Xueyan and almost got killed several times.
"Qingyu, don't talk nonsense. Second Sister … Anyway, she is a lady of the Lord Protector's Manor … With her identity, she deserves it. What's more, she is my sister. These words can't be heard by others. Otherwise, it will ruin Second Sister's reputation." Ning Xueyan's face darkened and she said harshly.
She seemed to have choked as she spoke a little too hurriedly. She immediately started coughing violently. Her pale little face seemed even paler and weaker in contrast to the clean dress she was wearing. Her long eyelashes fell weakly on her eyes. Her exquisite and beautiful facial features revealed an unhealthy paleness. It made one feel both pity and heartache.
They were talking about Ning … Yuling?
The Third Prince, who was walking behind the bamboo forest, frowned. Looking at the pale and beautiful face, a little anger flashed in his eyes. He didn't expect that Ning Yuling, the Second Young Lady of the Lord Protector's Manor, was such a person. She was gentle and graceful when she saw him. It turned out that she was just pretending.
Even his mother was deceived by her. She didn't even let go of her own sister. If such a vicious woman married into the Third Prince's Manor, she would hurt everyone. He thought that his mother had mentioned Ning Yuling before. She repeatedly told him that Ning Yuling was gentle and beautiful. She was an excellent candidate for the Third Prince's concubine.
Unexpectedly, this woman was good at pretending and vicious!
"Young Lady, I won't say it. Don't … don't be angry. I won't say that Second Young Lady hated you and pushed you into the river and almost drowned. I will keep my mouth shut in the future. I will bless Second Young Lady to become the Third Prince's concubine. Then, Second Young Lady won't make trouble for Fifth Young Lady in the Manor!" Qingyu was scared by Ning Xueyan's loud coughing. She held Xueyan up with tears in her eyes and patted her slender back gently.
After a while, Ning Xueyan recovered and wiped her tears with a handkerchief. She was already very weak, so she didn't have the energy to play a song. Her fingers gently stroked the zither, but before she could play a sound, she felt a little weak. She had no choice but to pat the zither with her fingers.
"Qingyu, let's go back. I really don't have the strength." She struggled to stand up. At this time, she had used up all her energy. She glanced at the quiet path out of the corner of her eyes and smiled slightly. The path led to a secluded place and the green bamboo forest was lush. She couldn't see anything clearly, but when she came in just now, she keenly caught a trace of footsteps of pedestrians.
From the looks of it, the esteemed Third Prince had heard the conversation just now!
"Well, Young Lady, let's go back now and lie down and have a good rest. A few days later, when the princes and heirs choose their concubines, you have to show your face. Otherwise, Madam Dowager will be unhappy." Qingyu took the zither and hung it on her shoulder. She supported Ning Xueyan and said with concern. In fact, Qingyu also hoped that Ning Xueyan could marry a powerful husband. In this way, Second Young Lady wouldn't dare to hurt her Young Lady anymore.
Looking at Qingyu's expectant face, Ning Xueyan shook her head with a smile and said, "The inner courtyard of the Lord Protector's Manor is so turbulent. The royal family … Your Young Lady is really weak."
"Young Lady, I heard that the Third Prince is very handsome. People in the capital city all say that the Third Prince is kind and good-looking. Don't you like him?" Qingyu answered unconsciously. She really thought that the Third Prince was good. Since Ning Xueyan was so good, she might be able to win the Third Prince's favor.
"Qingyu, you think too much!" Looking at Qingyu's serious expression, Ning Xueyan laughed involuntarily and said, "Even though the Third Prince is handsome, it's just his appearance. Good looks don't necessarily mean that he's really good. Just like …" Ning Xueyan's dark jade-like eyes turned as if she was looking for a suitable analogy.
Qingyu's eyes lit up. "Just like Second Young Lady, you are also beautiful, but your heart is very bad."
"Qingyu, you said it again!" Ning Xueyan said angrily.
"Yes, I dare not do it again. Young Lady, let's go back quickly. It's really windy here."
"Well, let's go!"
The master and the servant walked out slowly. When they disappeared, the Third Prince looked at Ning Xueyan's back with a sullen face and thoughtfully. He came out of the courtyard to avoid those young ladies from aristocratic families in front of the gate. This time, as soon as his father spread the news that he was going to select concubines for them, it became lively there.
Since early in the morning, there had been people whispering in front of the gate. From time to time, some people came to his door, saying that they were tired from walking and wanted to ask for water. Some people said that they fell and wanted to come in to have a rest, asking for permission from the master of the courtyard … There were all kinds of strange reasons. All in all, it annoyed the Third Prince a lot. He didn't like those young ladies at all.
But he didn't expect that there were still people who avoided him. What did it mean by "good looks don't necessarily mean good heart"? It meant that he was rich on the outside but rotten on the inside. Thinking that such a beautiful and transparent woman should avoid him like a snake or a scorpion, he felt sullen for no reason. How could there be such a young lady who didn't take him seriously?
What's more, her beautiful face, even if she was sick and weak, made people feel sorry for her.
Ning Xueyan supported Qingyu and finally went to her room. Two servant girls served her to go to bed together. Lanning handed Ning Xueyan the decoction that had been prepared in advance and gave it to her to drink. After drinking it, she covered herself with the quilt. When she lay on the bed, Ning Xueyan's swollen head was slightly relieved.
The decoction was prescribed by a master in the Cold Mountain Temple who was good at medicine asked by Madam Dowager. It was very effective. Ning Xueyan took the decoction several times and the effect was good. But her body was too weak, so there was no immediate effect. At this time, she went out and suffered so much. The accumulated spirit suddenly passed through, and she became sick again.
Lanning touched Ning Xueyan's forehead and felt a little relieved. Fortunately, Ning Xueyan didn't have a fever. Her body couldn't withstand such torture. Thinking that Ning Xueyan was the daughter of the Lord Protector's Manor's legal wife, Lanning thought that Ning Xueyan would be swallowed by the Lord Protector's Manor. Lanning couldn't help but feel sad and her eyes were wet.
"Lanning, you also leave. I'll be fine after a nap." Ning Xueyan patted Lanning's hand. Looking at Lanning's expression, she knew that she was thinking of her former self. A soft smile appeared on her lips.
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