Chapter 161   Reputable Third Young Lady

Ning Qingshan returned to the Lord Protector’s Manor in the morning the next day.

It caused a sensation because Third Prince came to the Lord Protector’s Manor to visit her.

Ning Qingshan had always enjoyed a good reputation among the noble ladies in the capital. All the noble families praised her when they talked about the young girl of both loyalty and filial piety. Moreover, although she had been meditating in the nunnery, she would have written some poems occasionally, so she was also famous because of her talent.

Even though she was only an adopted daughter of the Lord Protector’s Manor, she enjoyed a higher reputation than the daughters who were born by the principle wives of Lord Protector. Besides, Third Prince and Honored Consort Ya paid special attention to her, so few ladies among the noble families could be as famous as she was.

In her last life, Ning Xueyan had no connection with Ning Qingshan, so she didn’t know much about her. She only knew that the maids and the older female servants respected Third Young Lady very much. But after what happened yesterday, Ning Xueyan knew she should be more cautious in the face of Ning Qingshan.

She had her right arm wrapped in white gauze and then put her garment on. She didn’t put a lot of gauze on, so it didn’t look obvious. It was her first time to meet Ning Qingshan, so she didn’t want to cause her attention. Without touching her hand, nobody would find that the gauze under her garment.

After Lanning had brushed hair and worn the hair ornaments for her, Ning Xueyan walked to Lucky Garden with her. It was said that Third Prince had arrived in the early morning and there was something wrong with Ning Huaiyuan. Ning Xueyan thought her Third Sister was by no means ordinary.

Before they could enter the Lucky Garden, they heard a burst of laughter come out from the room.

Ning Xueyan was now a frequent visitor to Lucky Garden, so the maid didn’t report to Madam Dowager and let her in.

The moment she lifted the curtain, she saw a beautiful girl intimately sitting beside Madam Dowager. She looked gorgeous in a luxury green dress with a fair complexion. There was a pink color on her face and in her watery eyes, there was a trace of a smile. The gold pendant of her hairpin didn’t shake at all and she looked graceful and decent.

She was no less beautiful than Ning Yuling, the famous Young Lady in the capital, and compared to that arrogant girl, she looked more elegant and generous.

It was rare to see such a decent girl of a noble family like her!

Ning Qingshan chatted with Madam Dowager and made her laugh from time to time. Meanwhile, she lowered her head slightly and chatted with Third Prince occasionally. Obviously, she didn’t ignore anyone or being too flattering. It had been three years since she left the manor and she was more sociable now.

Hearing someone lift the curtain, she raised her head with a smile.

She was surprised when she saw a girl was looking at her too. This girl had jade-like eyes, long and black eyelashes, and there was a cold and bright gleam in her beautiful eyes. She observed further, and found that the girl in front of her was a delicate beauty, although she hadn’t fully developed yet and her face and her lips were too pale.

These weren’t detrimental to her exquisite face, and made her more delicate and touching! From her eyes, one could tell that she was quick-witted.

It was foreseeable that how beautiful she would be when she grew up!

“How beautiful! Grandma, who is this sister?” Ning Qingshan looked at Ning Xueyan with a gentle smile and calmly asked.

Watching her come in, Ning Huaiyuan, who was sitting aside felt a little uneasy.

“This is your Fifth Sister. Just like you, she has lived in Bright Frost Garden for many years and she seldom showed up in public, so it’s normal that you don’t know her. When you left, she was only about eleven years old. Xueyan, come here to greet your Third Sister,” Madam Dowager introduced with a smile.

“Greetings, Third Sister!” Ning Xueyan shifted her eyes from Ning Qingshan to her maid beside her and then a smile crossed her eyes. Fate brought them together again! It reminded her of what had happened a few days ago.

Ning Qingshan stood up and walked close to Ning Xueyan. She held her hand with a sincere smile and sized Ning Xueyan up. “Oh, you’re Fifth Sister! You’re as beautiful as a fairy! You resemble mom so much. Is she all right? Has she recovered? Is she still taking her medicine? I brought some medicines back. Please give them to mom later.”

Every move of her showed her sincere affection and she looked so gentle and graceful. From any aspect, she was perfect.

“Give the medicines to mom?” Ning Xueyan sneered. She knew that Ning Qingshan did this to make everyone think she was filial.

She held back the impulse to withdraw her hands. Her face grew colder and there was sadness in her eyes. “Third Sister, thank you for your medicines! But mom doesn’t need them anymore,” she said.

“Ah? What happened?” Ning Qingshan asked in a hoarse voice, her smile faded away.

“Third Sister, you have been meditating in the nunnery, so maybe nobody of the manor told you about the news. Mom... has passed away,” Ning Xueyan said in a gentle voice and she was on the verge of tears.

Ning Qingshan was Madam Ming’s daughter in the name. Ning Xueyan didn’t believe that she didn’t know about Madam Ming’s death, because Lord Protector’s Manor would definitely have sent someone to tell her about it. Ning Xueyan had inquired someone and she was told that the so-called nunnery was not far away from the outside of the east gate of the capital. It was small, but a lot of people went there to worship every day.

It was said that First Princess of the previous dynasty had her hair shaved and became a nun there. It seemed the Bodhisattva enshrined in the nunnery was very efficacious, so if the noble ladies wanted to make a wish in front of the Bodhisattva, they would definitely go to this nunnery.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many people who knew Ning Qingshan was talented.

The girl Ning Xueyan met who had taken an arrogant maid with her recently was no other than Ning Qingshan. The maid who fought her for a jade hairpin was standing behind Ning Qingshan now.

“Third Young Lady, why didn’t you see the person who was sent by marquis to report to you about Madam Ming’s passing away?” Madam Dowager looked at Ning Qingshan with a smile, as if she asked the question casually.

If nobody in the manor had arranged people to inform Ning Qingshan about the news, the Lord Protector’s Manor should be blamed.

“Grandmother, my practice has reached the most critical stage at that moment, so I wouldn’t have met with any visitors. Since nobody mentioned it again, I didn’t think he had anything special to tell me and I didn’t ask about it later.” Ning Qingshan knew what Madam Dowager meant, so she immediately explained. Her face turned a little pale and her eyes became red. She looked up at Madam Dowager and continued, “If, if I knew mom passed away, I, I would have come back to see her one last time even if I broke my promise to Bodhisattva.”

She wiped the corner of her eyes and looked very sad. She deliberately turned sideways toward Third Prince so that he could see how she felt wronged.

“Madam Dowager, Third Young Lady is telling the truth. I have sent my man there too, but the master of the nunnery told him that Third Young Lady wouldn’t see anyone at that moment.” Seeing the beauty cry so bitterly in front of him, Third Prince, Ao Mingyu, couldn’t help speaking for her.

“Come on! Don’t cry! We should be happy to see Third Young Lady come back. Fifth Young Lady, don’t make everyone unhappy by bringing up those sad things.” Madam Dowager was embarrassed to have Third Prince explain for the home affair of the Lord Protector’s Manor, so she began to blame Ning Xueyan.

Being scolded for no reason, Ning Xueyan’s face darkened. She looked up at Madam Dowager and then Ning Qingshan in confusion, looked as if she had just realized that Madam Dowager was blaming her. Her eyes turned red. “Grandmother, since Third Sister asked me about mom, of course I should let her know. How can we keep her being dis-respectable to mom all the time but do nothing?”

Looking at Ning Xueyan’s reddish eyes, Madam Dowager just realized that the way Ning Qingshan dressed was improper. She dressed up like this showed she attached great importance to today’s gathering, but instead of offering incense and worshiping Madam Ming, she chatted and joked with others in a gorgeous dress. It was really indecent!

She was a little regret. She should have told her about Madam Ming’s death the moment Ning Qingshan stepped into the manor, and asked her to worship Madam Ming and changed her clothes before coming here.

Seeing Madam Dowager fall silent, Mother Qin, who had been standing behind her said in a hurry, “Fifth Young Lady, you’re right. Madam Dowager was planning to tell Third Young Lady about this, but she forgot it as soon as she chatted with her. Third Young Lady, do you want to worship Second Madam now?”

Ning Qingshan was surprised that Ning Xueyan dared to blame her to her face in front of Madam Dowager and Third Prince. She was a little annoyed. But Mother Qin, the old female servant of Madam Dowager had asked her to worship Madam Ming, which meant she was indirectly blaming her rudeness. Although Madam Dowager didn’t say anything, she didn’t stop Mother Qin. Obviously, what Mother Qin said was what Madam Dowager thought as well.

“Yes. I should be blamed. Grandmother, I’ll change my clothes right now and worship mom with Fifth Sister. I’m not filial not having seen mom one last time. If mom forgives me, I would like to copy the scripture a hundred times in her mourning hall,” Ning Qingshan said gently, her every move full of affection.

She looked so sincere that an outsider would think that she was the biological daughter of Madam Ming!

Ning Xueyan knew she was acting, but she was marvel at her acting skill.

“Go and change your clothes. Come back after worshiping your mom. Let’s talk about the scripture copying thing in the future. Just have dinner with me today. I haven’t seen you for several years and I want to spend more time with you.” Madam Dowager patted Ning Qingshan on the hand and looked at her with satisfaction, the smile on her face more gentle.

“Got it,” Ning Qingshan answered respectfully. She then turned to Third Prince and said softly, “Your Highness, please wait here for a moment. I’ll worship mom first. Then I’ll come back after changing my clothes. Please tell me about Honored Consort Ya later. She has been treated me well, and I missed her so much when I was in the nunnery.”

Ning Xueyan almost applauded for her performance. Ning Qingshan was gentle when she spoke and she looked decent. Besides, what she was asking for was Honored Consort Ya, so Third Prince wouldn’t leave before she came back from the mourning hall.

Ning Qingshan had hinted that she had been focusing on meditation in the nunnery, so she didn’t know what was going on outside, but now when talking about Honored Consort Ya, she seemed to know a lot about her. Several years ago, when she just came to the nunnery, Honored Consort Ya had only been an ordinary consort of the emperor. Since the promotion of a consort wouldn’t be announced to the public, how could Ning Qingshan know about it so clearly?

“Don’t worry, Third Young Lady. Mother misses you very much as well. But I should know how you’ve been these years before I report to her,” Third Prince said with a smile on his handsome face. He then shifted his gaze to Ning Xueyan from Ning Qingshan. Every time he saw this girl, he was amazed by her beauty.

He came here for Ning Qingshan today, but somehow, when he saw her beautiful face, he didn’t feel as happy as he had imagined. He kept on shifting his gaze between Ning Qingshan and Ning Xueyan, and finally, he fixed his eyes on Ning Xueyan, frowning...