There were five Young Ladies in Lord Protector’s Manor. The Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady were born of Madam Ling. Both of them were the most prominent in front of people and presented at most of the banquets. So they had a good reputation in the capital. Fourth Young Lady was born of a concubine and was not qualified to attend some banquets. Fifth Young Lady was the daughter of the co-wife, but she was timid and seldom left her courtyard, let alone go out to meet visitors.
In many people’s minds, there was no Fifth Young Lady at all!
This was all Ning Ziying knew in her last life! She just had lived in Lord Protector’s Manor for three years. She was not very clear about many things and had not met the Third Young Lady. Combining with the situation of two lives, she only knew something about the Third Young Lady three years ago.
It was said that the Third Young Lady was quiet and beautiful since childhood. When she grew up, her reputation was better. She was adopted by Madam Ming. So her identity was the same as Ning Xueyan’s. Both of them were the daughters of co-wife.
But she was different from Ning Xueyan. It was said that she was very smart. Although she was not Ning Zu’an’s biological daughter, she was favoured by Madam Dowager very much. Even Ning Yuling, who had always been arrogant, dared not bully her. Her status and treatment in Lord Protector’s Manor were not worse than Ning Ziyan’s and Ning Yuling’s, who were the daughters of Legal Wife.
Although Madam Ming lived in Bright Frost Garden and did not leave her courtyard all year round, the Third Young Lady lived in Lord Protector’s Manor like a duck to water.
At that time, Ning Xueyan was still young, and the most famous one in Lord Protector’s Manor was the Third Young Lady, Ning Qingshan. Everyone praised her when they mentioned her. They all said that she was not only outstanding in appearance, but also smart and sensible. Young as she was, she was so outstanding. She must be better when she grew up.
At that time, both Ning Ziyan and Ning Yuling were neglected by others because of her.
When she was thirteen years old, she suddenly said that she wanted to go to the nunnery to pray for Madam Dowager, Madam Ling and Madam Ming, and would return in two years.
How could people not be moved by such a filial daughter? Immediately, everyone praised her, so that the emperor in the imperial palace was shocked by that. He specifically asked Honored Consort Ya, who then was Consort Ya, to inquire about her. It was said that the emperor wanted to confer an honor, Commandery Princess, on her. But it had not been carried out, and the reason was unknown to others.
Because Honored Consort Ya liked her, Ning Qingshan had lived in the imperial palace for two or three months before going to the nunnery.
But two years later, she still did not come back. She said that she wanted to pray for Lord Protector’s Manor for another year. This year was her last year!
Originally, Ning Xueyan only knew these things. But at this time of her last life, Ning Ziying saw the Third Prince and curiously asked at the moment when Xia Yuhang accompanied Ning Ziyan and her wandering in the garden.
Ning Ziyan, who was eager to please Xia Yuhang, hastily explained. She said that Ning Qingshan had recognized the Honored Consort Ya as her aunt, so that she would also send a letter to Honored Consort Ya when she wrote to Lord Protector’s Manor at this time every year.
Xia Yuhang also spoke highly of Ning Qingshan at that time.
Ning Ziyan also said that Ning Qingshan usually stayed in Bright Frost Garden and never met outsiders and be involved in other affairs. People of Lord Protector’s Manor still could not see her when they sent things to her. However, she wrote a letter to her family on the first day into the nunnery, which was a filial behavior.
Two years was not enough, and she prayed for another year. It was impossible for ordinary people to do!
In all people’s minds, Ning Qingshan was a model of Young Lady!
In the last life, Ning Xueyan would only envy her good luck.
But one would feel strange if he or she thought about it now. A Young Lady who had no blood relationship with members of Lord Protector’s Manor had such a good reputation and enjoyed the favor and praise of everyone in Lord Protector’s Manor. It was obvious that she was not a simple person.
Furthermore, the gentleness in the eyes of Third Prince could not be hidden. At that time, the Third Prince was only fourteen or fifteen years old. But he had been keeping thinking about Ning Qingshan for three years. How scheming the thirteen-year-old little girl was!
“Shan’er should be back this time. I have sent a letter to her today. She has spent three years there living a simple and hard life. She’s just a little girl… I feel sad whenever I think of it.”
Madam Dowager sighed and said with tears in her eyes. She actually showed her true feelings that she had never shown before.
“Madam Dowager, does she agree to leave the nunnery this time?” There was a glimmer of surprise in the Third Prince’s eyes.
Madam Dowager said while looking at Ning Xueyan, “She should have agreed. She has been there for three years and has to come back. She is sixteen years old now. Ling’er is engaged, and she’s next. There’s no such a principle that younger sister gets married before the elder sister.”
Ning Xueyan’s dress today was worse than usual. Her clothes looked so gaudy and her hairstyle was so ugly. She did not look like the Young Lady of Lord Protector’s Manor and even was worse than a maid. This made Madam Dowager very unhappy. She felt that she was not promising when she saw Ning Xueyan’s appearance.
Originally, Madam Dowager hoped that the Third Prince would marry Ning Xueyan. But now she found that even she did not think Ning Xueyan was outstanding. How could the Three Princes like her?
“If she doesn’t know how to dress up, her delicate and beautiful face is of no use. And how can she attract the Third Prince? Since Marquis of Ping’an want to marry her, just let him marry her. Anyway, she’s in a poor health and doesn’t know how to dress up. She’s useless to the Lord Protector’s Manor.”
Madam Dowager had made up her mind while looking at Ning Xueyan.
Hearing that Ning Qingshan would come back, the Third Prince was happier. He nodded and said, “Since you’ve said that she’ll come back this time, I’ll tell my mother later. My mother hasn’t seen her for so many years, and said that she misses her very much. If she comes back, let her go to the imperial palace to see my mother.”
“Naturally she’ll visit your mother. It’s also her good fortune that Honored Consort Ya likes her. After she comes back, we wish that your mother will pay more attention to her marriage and choose a good man for her!” Madam Dowager was also in a good mood and nodded.
The Third Prince immediately agreed with what Madam Dowager said. Since they had made an agreement, the Third Prince decided to leave. He stood up and said goodbye. At this time, Ning Lingyun seized the opportunity and said that she would see off the Third Prince on behalf of Madam Dowager.
Looking at delicate Ning Lingyun whose behaviors were too gentle and lovely, Madam Dowager frowned, but still nodded her head. Anyway, she was better than the silly Fifth Young Lady.
The Third Prince gave a look at Ning Xueyan and followed Ning Lingyun to walk outside.
Seeing that everyone had gone, Ning Xueyan finally said goodbye.
However, she went out of the courtyard gate and soon saw the Third Prince and Ning Lingyun who were slowly walking in front of her after walking for a short time.
Ning Xueyan did not want to walk with them. She gave a look at a fork nearby and wanted to go there. But the Third Prince stopped and turned around when he heard sounds behind them. He looked at Ning Xueyan and smiled elegantly. “Fifth Young Lady, are you going back to your courtyard? Let’s go together!”
He went on walking as soon as he finished that!
Ning Xueyan could not but follow them since the Third Prince had invited. Ning Lingyun kept giving fierce looks at Ning Xueyan, but Ning Xueyan could only pretend that she could not see her fierce looks. Anyway, after passing the rockery which was not far away, Ning Xueyan would arrive at the path to her courtyard. At that time, the Third Prince could not say anything.
“Fifth Young Lady, your hairstyle is quite special.” The Third Prince looked sideways at Ning Xueyan with a slight smile on his handsome face, a trace of curiosity and gloom flashing through his eyes.
Ning Xueyan was not a foolish woman. But why did she cover up her brilliant face with bangs? Thinking of what Marquis of Ping’an and Madam Dowager had said, the Third Prince understood the reason.
“Yes, my maids are not good at it. Please don’t laugh at it.” Ning Xueyan smiled and pretended to be embarrassed.
Being disturbed by Ning Xueyan, Ning Lingyun unhappily said in a sharp voice, “Fifth Sister, I think you should drive away the maid who made the hairstyle for you. Look at yourself, you look so terrible. Your face is pale and too thin, and such a hairstyle makes you so ugly!” She gave a sarcastic look at Ning Xueyan and then squeezed into the middle between Ning Xueyan and the Third Prince.
It was hard for Ning Lingyun to get a chance to be alone with the Third Prince, but now this chance was destroyed by Ning Xueyan, which made Ning Lingyun very angry. So she was certainly not satisfied with everything of Ning Xueyan.
Ning Lingyun was really interested in the Third Prince and feared that others would attract his attention.
Ning Xueyan gave a cold look at Ning Lingyun, and slightly moved aside. She did that because she did not want to have too much contact with the Third Prince, not because of Ning Lingyun. She was not Ning Lingyun who could not see the Third Prince’s shrewdness and dislike. She had been harmed by Xia Yuhang in last life, so she now just wanted an equal marriage.
Otherwise, others would despise her!
The Third Prince slightly smiled and elegantly said while looking at Ning Lingyun, “Fourth Young Lady, your hairstyle is also good. There must be some maids who are good at it!”
The Third Prince’s stare made Ning Lingyun flush, who thought that she had successfully attracted the Third Prince. It was helpful that she got up so early and dressed up for two hours. So she was not angry with Ning Xueyan anymore and said shyly, “Thank you for your praise!”
“What happened to the right side of your head? Is it a new hairstyle? I haven’t seen it before. I’ll certainly mention it to my mother when I return to the imperial palace.” The Third Prince smiled more gently while looking at the right side of Ning Lingyun’s hair, as if he really liked her hairstyle today.
“The right? What happened to the right?”
Ning Lingyun was at a loss because of the Third Prince’s praise. She subconsciously reached out for a touch, and immediately touched her back hair. A hairpin hung on her hair loosely and suddenly fell down because of Ning Lingyun’s touch. Immediately, her hair disorderly scattered on her shoulder.
“Ah, Young Lady, your hair is in disorder!” The maid standing on her side immediately reminded her.
Ning Lingyun always wanted to keep a beautiful image in front of the Third Prince. How could she tolerate such an embarrassment? Her face turned pale first, and then red. Finally, she rushed away with tears in her eyes while covering her hair of right side before saying something to the Third Prince.
Her two maids looked at each other and then followed up.
Ning Lingyun had spent so long in dressing up in the morning and even actively saw off the Third Prince, regardless of a Young Lady’s reservedness. However, she became ashamed and rushed away because of the Third Prince’s one sentence in the end!
Ning Xueyan wanted to laugh. But when she saw that the Third Prince looking at her, she immediately concealed her smile and regained indifference. Although she was glad that the mean Ning Lingyun had gone away, she still was unwilling to walk with the Third Prince.
She did not want to be targeted by other women because of the Third Prince!
