The Devious First-Daughter

Ning Xueyan carefully smeared the medicine powder on the Malus halliana Koehne petals. The smell of the medicine powder was light, and it couldn’t be detected when it mixed with the fragrance of the flower. After smearing it, Ning Xueyan stretched out, washed her hands, and asked Qingyu to carry the flower back to the flower room.

Ning Xueyan was able to make some medicine powder. Aunt Xiang gave her some prescriptions, which made her suddenly gain some insights. Some things that had been incomprehensible became clear at once. With not much change, the medicine powder made by Ning Xueyan with the original prescription would become odorless.

"Young Lady, are you going to greet Madam Dowager now?" after dressing Ning Xueyan up, Lanning asked softly.

In the past, Ning Xueyan didn’t need to greet Madam Dowager every morning because Madam Dowager didn’t want Ning Xueyan to greet her. However, Madam Dowager now needed to show her kindness to Ning Xueyan in front of others because Ning Xueyan might marry the Third Prince. She didn’t want to be a biased grandmother in other people’s minds.

"I’ll go after breakfast!" Ning Xueyan nodded.

Qingyu had already prepared breakfast. After taking a small bowl of porridge, Ning Xueyan went to Auspicious Fortune Hall with Lanning.

When Ning Xueyan arrived at Auspicious Fortune Hall, she found that Madam Ling was already there. She was busy preparing Madam Dowager’s breakfast, just like a filial daughter-in-law. Madam Dowager paid no attention to her and also didn’t ask her to leave. It could be said that they got along with each other like this all the time. However, Madam Dowager was more disgusted with Madam Ling today. So she asked Madam Ling, the hostess of Lord Protector’s Manor, to serve her.

Ning Lingyun, the Fourth Young Lady, was also in the room and was asked by Madam Dowager to have breakfast with her. Seeing that Madam Ling was busy, Ning Lingyun felt upset and looked at Madam Ling from time to time. When she saw Madam Ling’s smiling face, she was a little relieved and carefully had porridge.

Ning Xueyan entered the room and quickly looked at all the people in the room. She smiled and saluted Madam Dowager, who was sitting in the middle seat. "Good morning, grandmother."

"You’re here. Sit down!" Madam Dowager smiled and waved to Ning Xueyan, as if she hadn’t proposed to sacrifice Ning Xueyan yesterday.

"Xueyan, you’ve finally come. Just now, Madam Dowager was worried that you hadn’t arrived because you were feeling unwell again. Now you’ve come. You look well today." Madam Ling walked over to Ning Xueyan with enthusiasm and was about to take Ning Xueyan’s hands.

These people acted well, choosing to forget that they tried to frame Ning Xueyan yesterday.

Madam Ling’s words sounded pleasant, but they made Ning Xueyan uncomfortable.

Ning Xueyan smiled slightly, avoided Madam Ling, and sat down beside Madam Dowager. The maid hurried to take out a pair of chopsticks and served Ning Xueyan half a bowl of porridge.

"The rice was given to us by His Majesty. There isn’t much in my Auspicious Fortune Hall. It just so happens that you two are here. Have a taste," Madam Dowager gently said.

"Thank you, grandmother." Ning Xueyan gently thanked her with a smile on her face.

Ning Xueyan had already eaten breakfast, but since Madam Dowager invited her to have a taste, she agreed.

"Xueyan, mother was busy cooking porridge for grandmother this morning. We’re lucky that we can also try some. So we have to thank mother also," Ning Lingyun said, flattering Madam Ling.

Hearing Ning Lingyun’s words, Madam Ling, who was being ignored just now, activated again. She took a look at Ning Lingyun with satisfaction and said to Ning Xueyan with a smile on her face, "We’re family, don’t be so polite. As long as you eat happily, I’m also happy, even if I’m tired."

This meant that for the sake of Lord Protector’s Manor, she was willing to work wholeheartedly.

"Mother, thank you for all the hard work. Grandmother, since the Fourth Sister said so, why not invite mother to sit down and eat with us?" Ning Xueyan smiled and asked softly.

Ning Xueyan’s words also meant that Madam Dowager had not considered Madam Ling’s hard work, and therefore, Ning Lingyun had to speak for Madam Ling.

Hearing that, Madam Dowager hummed and looked at Ning Lingyun unhappily. "Don’t worry about her. She has already finished her porridge. We should mind our own business."

Thinking of the matter that Madam Ling mixed her medicine with other medicines, Madam Dowager couldn’t be happy.

What happened afterward was more or less related to Madam Ling. Ning Lingyun dared to want Madam Ling to sit down and have breakfast with them, which made Madam Dowager unhappy.

Madam Dowager said that in front of so many maids, which made Madam Ling lose face. But Madam Ling dared not get angry. She could only smile and pretend that she had not heard. Meanwhile, she also dared not go near Ning Xueyan.

Ning Lingyun and Ning Xueyan had already eaten breakfast this morning, so they only ate half a bowl of porridge with Madam Dowager. Then they chatted with Madam Dowager for a while and left.

When they went out of the courtyard gate, Ning Lingyun took two steps forward quickly and walked out before Ning Xueyan. But Ning Xueyan had already lifted her foot. Because of Ning Lingyun’s sudden advance, Ning Xueyan almost fell down and Lanning hurried to support her.

"Xueyan, do you want to go to see the Second Sister? I heard that she was ill since yesterday and can’t get up now." When they were outside the courtyard, Ning Lingyun no longer pretended to be fragile and spoke to Ning Xueyan disdainfully.

She had always looked down upon the cowardly Ning Xueyan and bullied her along with Ning Yuling.

"Fourth Sister, you go first. I’ll come immediately after I get the gift for the Second Sister," Ning Xueyan smiled and gently said.

"The gift? You brought gifts from the remote Cold Mountain Temple? Xueyan, did someone send them to Cold Mountain Temple specifically?" Ning Lingyun spoke sarcastically. The meaning of her words could make people blush. As a Young Lady of Lord Protector’s Manor, she shouldn’t speak like that.

Ning Xueyan looked at Ning Lingyun coldly, sneering in her mind. Lord Protector’s Manor was doomed to collapse. So many Young Ladies misbehaved. The Eldest Young Lady stole her sister’s fiance and also killed her sister. The Second Young Lady was vicious and selfish. And this Fourth Young Lady was arrogant and rude. There was no need for such a Lord Protector’s Manor to exist.

"It’s some precious face powder that the Eldest Sister gave me before. I don’t need it now, so I want to bring it to the Second Sister." After that, Ning Xueyan narrowed her eyes and turned her back to Ning Lingyun. She turned and walked toward Bright Frost Garden. It was useless to treat people like Ning Lingyun mildly.

As soon as she heard that Ning Xueyan had precious face powder, Ning Lingyun also wanted some. She thought for a moment and said to Ning Xueyan with a big smile, "May I go with you to take a look?"

Sure enough, Ning Lingyun was attracted by the face powder. Ning Xueyan sneered in her mind, but smiled and nodded. "Of course you can. I can’t use it now. You can choose two boxes of face powder and take them away."

"I really can take away two boxes?" Ning Lingyun was surprised.

"Yes. Fourth Sister, come with me." Ning Xueyan looked at Ning Lingyun, who had been attracted, and nodded.

Since Ning Lingyun was attracted by the face powder and also wanted some, Ning Xueyan could send some to Ning Yuling with the help of Ning Lingyun. In this way, others wouldn’t suspect Ning Xueyan in the future.

"Xueyan, let’s take the way that connects to the garden. There are some new beautiful Malus halliana Koehne there. We can go and see them." Seeing that Ning Xueyan heading for the path, Ning Lingyun stopped her with an expression that she wanted to make friendly contact with Ning Xueyan. If she could get benefits from Ning Xueyan, Ning Lingyun didn’t mind treating Ning Xueyan kindly.

If she could help Madam Ling, Ning Lingyun thought it was worthwhile to invite Ning Xueyan to the garden. As for Ning Xueyan, she didn’t care at all.

The path led to Bright Frost Garden and it was quicker to go this way. Besides, the cobblestone path wasn’t worse than the road over there.

"Fourth Sister, we’d better take a shortcut back. We have to visit the Second Sister later," Ning Xueyan suggested.

"Take it easy. Anyway, we’ll take gifts with us later. The Second Sister won’t blame us. Let’s go and see the flowers first. I heard that they’re very beautiful, but I didn’t have time before. It’s rare that I have time today. Xueyan, let’s see them, please."

Ning Lingyun was overly enthusiastic today. Usually, she looked down upon Ning Xueyan and bullied her when they met. Today, she treated Ning Xueyan kindly.

"Fine, let’s go." Ning Xueyan smiled and looked down. She followed Ning Lingyun and sneered in her mind.

Ning Xueyan and Ning Lingyun, each with a maid, walked to the garden one after the other with different intentions. Ning Lingyun did most of the talking and Ning Xueyan only nodded with a smile from time to time. They turned the corner of the courtyard and walked to another garden.

In a concealed place in the garden, a foppish young man in pink clothes appeared. At first glance, one would know that he was a libertine.

He was Madam Ling’s nephew, Ling Yi. His father was the Vice Minister of Justice, Ling Nianhua. He was the only son of Ling Nianhua, so he was spoiled by all his elders and grew up with many sisters. He had made no academic achievements. He was just a playboy.

He got along very well with the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li and flirted with women every day.

"Isn’t our Fifth Young Lady beautiful?" Mother Chen, Madam Ling’s personal servant, appeared silently and said to him while pointing at Ning Xueyan.

Ning Lingyun and Ning Xueyan stood together in the garden. Although Ning Lingyun was beautiful, she was still inferior to Ning Xueyan. So Ling Yi couldn’t help staring at Ning Xueyan.

At first, Ling Yi didn’t pay much attention to Ning Xueyan and thought that she was just a little girl. Compared with the plump Ning Lingyun, Ning Xueyan was inferior. But when he looked at her carefully, he was stunned. Although Ning Xueyan was emaciated, she was delicate and touching.

Unexpectedly, there was such a beautiful woman in Lord Protector’s Manor! Ling Yi couldn’t move his gaze and didn’t want to leave.

Seeing his expression, Mother Chen smiled proudly. She pulled Ling Yi’s sleeve to bring him to his senses. "Isn’t she a beauty?"

"Yes. Yes! Unexpectedly, she is the most beautiful one in Lord Protector’s Manor." Ling Yi was obsessed, looking at Ning Xueyan’s backside lustfully. He felt that the beauty in front of him was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life.

Ling Yi had seen many beautiful women, but he had never seen such a beautiful woman. This beauty looked so tender, but her gaze was cold and indifferent. Such a beauty gave people different feelings. How could Ling Yi not be attracted by her?

"Childe, do you want to seduce the Fifth Young Lady?" Mother Chen suddenly went up close to Ling Yi and asked him in a low voice.

Ling Yi was frightened at first, but immediately after he was overjoyed. "Mother Chen, do you have an idea?"

After that, he took some money out from his sleeve and handed it over. "After it’s successful, I’ll thank you again!"