Chapter 189 Series of Stratagems
The paper of the two notes was the same, and if someone compared them in detail, he would find that they were torn from the same piece of paper, and the only difference between them was that one had a name on it, and another one did not have.
The crumpled note was broken, but they could vaguely recognize the words ‘Third Young Lady of the Nings’.
Ao Mingyu combined the two notes together and stood in the pavilion with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked at Ning Xueyan, who was walking down the rockery, and frowned.
The slim and weak girl in snow-white imperial gown still stayed calm, and did not show alarm or surprise even something unexpected had happened. But she was a little cold when she left just now. It seemed that she did not want to spend any more time with him.
She was a smart girl, and she must have already figured out who wanted to set her up!
A playboy had come here after receiving a note from a palace maid, and Ning Xueyan had come as well, as someone had told her that she could saw the beautiful scenery here. Since the Graceful Moon Pavilion was located in such a conspicuous place, they would definitely be found out. If that happened, she would end up miserably.
She had never shown up in public before, so it was impossible for her to offend any outsiders. It was said that Ning Qingshan had tried to stir up trouble with her at the Lord Protector’s Manor for an account book of the backyard of the manor. She was most likely to frame Ning Xueyan.
But if Ning Qingshan happened to have such a note, what would others think?
They would think that the political opponents of the Lord Protector’s Manor wanted to deal with Ning Zu’an, so they framed his daughters who had just come to the imperial palace. Ning Qingshan did not fall for it, because she had happened gone to Honored Consort Ya’s palace.
What a reasonable explanation! It seemed it had nothing to do with Ning Qingshan. But Ao Mingyu was not an ordinary person, and he paid more attention to the result. Ning Xueyan had come here. If she had not met him by chance, something bad would have happened to her. If that was the case, who would benefit the most?
Of course it was Ning Qingshan!
Without Ning Xueyan, she would be able to help Madam Dowager to manage the internal affairs of the Lord Protector’s Manor, maybe more than that!
But it was hard for him to believe that Ning Qingshan was such a person.
Could the kind and gentle girl, who had even gotten injured in order to save him, have become so vicious? She had almost been isolated from the secular world in the nunnery for three years, and her life should be purer. He could not imagine how a woman from that place could end up like this?
But if it was not Ning Qingshan who had set a trap, who would want to harm Ning Xueyan?
Ning Xueyan was not the most distinguished daughter at Lord Protector’s Manor. She had been abandoned in the backyard for years, and no outsiders would have noticed her if nobody of the manor had mentioned her. Even Ning Zu’an did not care about her either. Maybe the relationship between him and Ning Xueyan was very indifferent. In his heart, she was even inferior to a concubine’s daughter. Therefore, even if Ning Xueyan got involved in troubles, it would have little effect on Ning Zu’an.
Ning Zu’an’s political opponents would not do such a meaningless thing!
Third Prince was not certain whether it was Ning Qingshan or not who had set the trap. He spread the note with the words ‘Third Young Lady of the Nings’ again and examined it carefully, but found that apart from being crumpled and a little worn, this note was nothing special.
He stepped down the Graceful Moon Pavilion slowly and tore the other note in his hand into pieces. Then he threw them and strode toward the male guest seats in the Plum Garden.
After he had gone far and walked into the Plum Garden, Lanning showed up at the rockery again.
The note pieces scattered on the stone steps. Lanning picked them up naturally and turned to leave. After a short while, she caught up with Ning Xueyan, who was walking slowly.
“Miss, why did you ask me to pick up the note?” Lanning asked, handing the note pieces to Ning Xueyan.
“The words that just disappeared will show up again after a short while.” Ning Xueyan smiled, looking at the note calmly. The white orange’s effect could not last long, and after a short moment, her name would appear on the note again.
“Miss, since Third Prince believed that you were here because you were tricked, what if he saw your name on it?” Lanning asked, puzzled. She was smart, but she still could not figure out Ning Xueyan’s intention.
Since Third Prince had known that her master was framed, he should think it was normal that someone had tricked that man into coming here. Lanning was confused about why her master asked her to wait there and picked up the note after Third Prince had torn and thrown it. Not only was there no benefit in doing so, but someone might find out.
In Lanning’s opinion, it was not worth the loss!
“It doesn’t matter even if Third Prince found you to pick up this note. Since it has something to do with me, it’s normal for me to take it back and investigate about it secretly. As for the words ‘Ni Xueyan’ on the note, it was another of Ning Qingshan’s tricks. She was smart and even if she wanted to frame others, she wouldn’t leave any obvious traces. How could she be so stupid to write my name on it? So even if other people found the note, they wouldn’t think that it has anything to do with her.”
Ning Xueyan smiled slightly.
Ning Qingshan was not only vicious but also smart. She used a set of interlocking stratagems, so skillfully!
She wrote her name on both notes, as if it was true that Ning Xueyan had made the appointment with that man. Besides, the dating place was the Graceful Moon Pavilion where many people could see them. Thinking about it carefully, people would find many flaws. How could a smart person like Ning Qingshan come up with such a stupid idea?
Therefore, even if the others finally found that Ning Xueyan was trapped, they would not suspect Ning Qingshan.
Then nobody would get justice for Ning Xueyan even if they knew that she was set up. So she could only come to a miserable end.
These were the interlocking stratagems of Ning Qingshan. But the moment Ning Xueyan smelled the flavor of the white orange, she had already known Ning Qingshan’s plan, so she asked Lanning to borrow a pair of scissors, and turned the ‘Fifth’ to ‘Third’ on the note with it. Then she asked Lanning to come to that man and manage to get the other note from him, and wipe her name from the note.
The whole process was so complicated and confusing!
Nobody had mentioned Ning Qingshan, but by his character, Ao Mingyu would definitely suspect her.
Sometimes, things did not have to be proven.
Slight negligence might lead to a great disaster!
Ning Qingshan was not easy to deal with, so Ning Xueyan decided to slow down the process.
Ning Qingshan had lost a personal maid without any preparation. Today, Ning Xuyan just took an opportunity and showed the notes in front of Ao Mingyu. As for what Ao Mingyu would think, it was none of her business.
When she was talking with Lanning, she suddenly saw Heng Yuqing and her maid come over in a hurry. Heng Yuqing felt relieved when she saw Ning Xueyan and Lanning were safe and sound. She pulled Ning Xueyan’s hand and asked in a low voice, “Are you really okay?”
“I’m okay. I happened to encounter Third Prince. We chatted for a while, and then I came back,” Ning Xueyan answered, smiling gently.
Feeling the sweat in Heng Yuqing’s hand, warmth rose from her cold heart. Unlike Ning Ziyan’s false affection, Heng Yuqing cared for Ning Xueyan with all her heart. From the way she looked at her, Ning Xueyan could tell that Heng Yuqing did not want to get anything for her, but was worried about her safety and wanted to do something for her from the bottom of her heart.
To prevent her from being worried, Ning Xueyan did not tell her what had happened in the pavilion.
“Third Prince? Why did he come here? It’s said he is going to get engaged with Ning Qingshan,” Heng Yuqing said with a frown. She thought it over and felt Ning Qingshan, the hypocritical woman, was most likely to frame Ning Xueyan. Moreover, Ning Qingshan had walked with Third Prince just now. It was said that they were very close. Therefore, Heng Yuqing was also wary of Third Prince.
“He was just hanging out. Don’t worry. I’ve torn the note, and I won’t get into trouble,” Ning Xueyan said with a smile, trying to relieve her.
“Fortunately you didn’t go to the Graceful Moon Pavilion. I thought it over and suddenly remembered that there was a yard near it. Since many noble childes came for the party, maybe some of them would go to the yard. If you met Mr. Xia there, gossip would spread. Then you might…”
Heng Yuqing explained, wiping the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief. Although she did not finish her words, she had expressed her meaning clearly. Other people would think that Ning Xueyan tried to seduce his brother-in-law shamelessly. Then she could only end up with a miserable end.
“You came here for me?” Ning Xueyan examined Heng Yuqing’s expression carefully and asked, looking thoughtfully.
“Yes. I’ve thought it over. With me by your side, even if we met Childe Xia, it doesn’t matter, because we can tell the others that we happened to encounter him by chance. If I was a little later than you to arrive at the pavilion, and saw you and Childe Xia alone there, I can explain to other people that we planned to go to the pavilion together, but I had something to deal with, so I asked you to go first, and I would meet you there later. Then the others won’t have any reason to gossip.”
Heng Yuqing said sincerely.
She had been thinking why Childe Xia asked the maid to give the note to Ning Xueyan. What on earth could he want to tell Ning Xueyan to her face in the imperial palace? After thinking for a long time, she failed to get the answer. Later, when several palace maids mentioned Graceful Moon Pavilion by accident, she suddenly realized how improper it would be if Ning Xueyan met Xia Yuhang there.
That place was obvious and easy to be found. From the pavilion, which was located in a higher position, one could see half of the imperial palace. That also meant that people in the pavilion would be seen by others easily. What was more, there was a yard beside it, and there must be someone there today on such an occasion. At thought of this, Heng Yuqing began to be extremely worried.
She then stood up and ran out.
Looking at Heng Yuqing, Ning Xueyan felt a little guilty. She grabbed Heng Yuqing by the hand firmly and comforted her. “It’s all right now. It’s all over. Nobody hurt me.”
She was guilty because she had suddenly thought of what Ning Ziyan had done to her in her last life, and wondered whether Heng Yuqing was the same kind of person.
She had been emotionally devastated in her last life, and it was hard for her to believe the sisterhood. But now, she was sure that she trusted Heng Yuqing.
“I think the note might not be written by Childe Xia. Do you need me to check who asked the palace maid to give it to you? The person who wanted to frame you should be punished!” Heng Yuqing was not a person to put up with being bullied. After recovering from her panic, she could not help being angry at thought of someone trying to set Ning Xueyan up.
She came more times to the imperial palace than Ning Xueyan did, and one of her cousins was here, so she knew something about it.
Ning Xueyan smiled faintly. Of course she would not let go of the palace maid who had conveyed the note to her for Ning Qingshan. No matter she had been sent by Ning Qingshan or someone else, she had something to do with this matter.
“Don’t bother. We’ll know who did it soon,” Ning Xueyan said insouciantly with a smile, playing with the handkerchief in her hands. Her eyes were filled with coldness.
“Ning Qingshan knows how to use irrelevant people, I can do the same,” she thought.
