The Devious First-Daughter

Concubines of the manor were also women who had married Ning Zu’an, so Madam Dowager and Ning Zu’an decided to hold a simple wedding ceremony by setting up a few tables of banquet at noon the next day, then Yu Lian would become Ning Zu’an’s concubine formally. They planned to have dinner only with some people of the manor, but to their surprise, many guests came at noon the next day.

Since Ning Zu’an was a powerful general, the military department members had already heard the news and came to congratulate him.

Moreover, they had taken their family members here, so the outer courtyard was immediately filled with greetings and laughter.

Madam Dowager was honorable and she wouldn’t greet Ning Zu’an’s subordinates’ families in person for a concubine’s wedding ceremony, so she asked Ning Qingshan and Ning Xueyan to do this job. Ning Xueyan was unremarkable, but Ning Qingshan was well known because of her talent and filial piety, so she became the focus of the subordinates’ families.

Everyone knew that Third Young Lady of the Ning Qingshan was kind, smart, filial and generous. Although she was young, she could withstand the poor life of the nunnery and cultivated there sincerely for three years! What was more, she was both pretty and graceful, so everyone put their attention on her. They surrounded her like stars surrounded moon.

Ning Qingshan was a tactful person, so soon she became the center of the young ladies and girls.

Madam Dowager asked Ning Qingshan to greet the guests as she wanted her to expand her network. Though all the guests were not as powerful as Ning Zu’an, many of them were daughters of noble families. Ning Qingshan had been away from the circle for three years, but with her good reputation, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to fit in again.

As for Ning Xueyan, Madam Dowager arranged her to manage the logistics, including the dishes preparation, so she almost had no opportunity to show up in front of the guests.

Fortunately, Ning Xueyan had managed the internal affairs of the manor for a period and she was familiar with it, so she didn’t feel very busy at this moment. She asked Lanning and Mother Han to handle the matters, while she was resting beside them.

“Miss, why don’t we go out to meet those guests? Now everyone in the manor is talking about how capable Third Young Lady is, but nobody knows that you are the one who contributed most for this banquet!” Qingyu said resentfully with a few account books in her hands. What made her angrier was that she encountered a maid who held the account books on the way, and this maid told her that Madam Dowager asked Fifth Young Lady to check them when she was free.

“What are we doing out there? Madam Dowager arranged this on purpose, because she wanted Third Sister to take this opportunity to expand her network,” Ning Xueyan answered with a smile. She then took the account books from Qingyu. To her surprise, there was a marked stain on the last page of the account book. Her face darkened.

“Who gave you this?”

Qingyu looked at the account book and saw the stain as well. Her face turned pale in shock. “Miss, I don’t know that maid and I haven’t seen her before. I found the account books she gave me were those Madam Dowager should give you these days, so I didn’t check before taking them back. I didn’t notice that this page was stained.”

Qingyu was so anxious that she was about to cry. She took five account books in total from that maid. They were piled on top of each other, and there was nothing special compared to the account books she received before, so she didn’t pay special attention to them and took them back. If Madam Dowager found that there was a big stain on the last page of one of the account books, she would definitely blame Ning Xueyan.

“Is that maid from Lucky Garden?” Ning Xueyan asked, a coldness crossing her eyes.

“No. I’m sure she isn’t. I haven’t seen her before, but she knew me and she called my name. She told me that Xiangmiao, the maid of Madam Dowager asked her to give them to me. It should be Xiangmiao to bring the account books to us, but she was dispatched to serve the female guests in the backyard, so she asked that maid to give them to me.”

Qingyu answered with reddish eyes. She began to look for the handkerchief and wanted to wipe the stain off the page. Finally, she found a white one and was about to wipe it.

“Wait! If you wipe it, the stain will get bigger.” Ning Xueyan reached out and stopped her. She observed the stain carefully. It was black, quite similar to soy sauce and it smelled fishy. Because it was black and the paper had been soaked, it was hard to find it out without careful observation.

The page was already soaked, so if they wiped it with a common method, the stain couldn’t be removed, but the cover and the pages between the cover and the last page would be stained as well instead.

“Miss, I’ll go to look for the maid. I’m sure I can find her,” Qingyu said, gritting her teeth. She threw the handkerchief in her hand away and was about to leave. When she found the maid, she wouldn’t let go of her easily. “How vicious she was to give a stained account book to my master!” she thought.

“Qingyu, come back!” Ning Xueyan put down the account book. She looked mild, but there was coldness in her eyes.

The soaked page indicated that the account book had been stained for some time. What was more, it seemed only Ning Xueyan had the possibility to touch the things like soy sauce and fish, as she was in charge of the kitchen today. Obviously, someone was framing her!

She had thought to lead a period of peaceful life in the manor, but since someone wanted to stir up trouble, she had to fight for herself!

“Miss, I will find her. Even if I rummaged through the whole manor, I’ll find her!” Qingyu said angrily, gritting her teeth and stamping her foot. She thought Ning Xueyan stopped her because she was worried that she couldn’t find that maid.

No matter who the maid was, she would find her!

“What will you do after finding her?” Ning Xueyan asked gently.

“I’ll ask her to apologize to you and explain to Madam Dowager that the account book was stained by her, not by you,” Qingyu said, holding her head high. She was extremely angry, and what she was thinking was to find the maid, so when Ning Xueyan asked her, she blurted it out.

“What if she were reluctant to follow your instruction?” Ning Xueyan asked slightly.

“Reluctant? Impossible! Miss, you are a master, but she is just a humble maid, how dare she frame you up?” Qingyu widened her eyes and paused for a while before protesting. In her mind, it was already a very serious problem if a maid dared to disobey her master, let alone setting up her master.

“Without such people, mom wouldn’t have passed away so early!” Ning Xueyan said coldly.

“I...” Qingyu didn’t know what to say. She and several others knew that Madam Ming was murdered, and they were sure that it must be Madam Ling who had put her people up to it! “Miss, what shall we do? If we bring it to Madam Dowager like this, she may even abolish your right to run the manor!”

Qingyu was so anxious, but she could do nothing, because her master didn’t allow her to wipe the stain or look for the maid.

Ning Xueyan looked at the stained account book and thought for a while. It couldn’t be Madam Dowager who had abetted someone to do this. If she wasn’t satisfied with her, she could just strip her of her administration right, and it was unnecessary to make things so complex. Besides, if not because Madam Dowager was old and lack of energy to manage the internal affairs, she wouldn’t have asked her to check the account books. So it couldn’t be Madam Dowager who had asked someone to stain the account book.

Ning Zu’an would never be involved in such matters!

Madam Ling was locked up in the Buddha Hall and she had no energy to set up the others now. Besides, even Mother Chen had already been forbidden to go out.

Ning Ziyan was in the Xia Manor, and she didn’t come today. Even if she were here, she wouldn’t have come up with such a complex idea. So the person who wanted to frame her was not only clear about how many account books she had taken from Madam Dowager every day, but also was able to get the account books from Madam Dowager. Moreover, that person also knew that she was in charge of the kitchen today.

She had taken the account books, and the stain was obvious from the kitchen. What was more, she was in charge of the kitchen today. So even if they found the maid, nobody would believe what she said.

The person who was trying to set her up was thoughtful with long-term sight, so she was by no means ordinary.

Now Ning Qingshan seemed the most likely suspect!

Ning Xueyan had vaguely figured out what was going on. Obviously, Ning Qingshan was an ambitious woman. She enjoyed such a good reputation and received attentions from Madam Dowager and Ning Zu’an, and even Madam Ling didn’t dare to bully her. In the Lord Protector’s Manor, an adopted daughter even led a better life than a biological daughter! If she wasn’t a person of means, how could she manage to get these?

Ning Ziyan had gotten married, Ning Yuling couldn’t be a threat to her at more, Ning Lingyun was just a concubine’s daughter, and obviously, Ning Xueyan wasn’t a push-over, so Ning Qingshan decided to deal with her.

“Ning Qingshan just returned to the manor, but she already couldn’t tolerate my existence! She is really ambitious!” Ning Xueyan thought.

“Is Madam Dowager greeting the guests?” Ning Xueyan asked. She shifted her eyes from the account book and the indifferent and calm look returned to her face.

“I went to Lanning just now. She said Madam Dowager asked the cook to prepare more dishes, that means Madam Dowager was greeting some guests as well. I thought since old ladies of several other manors had come, Madam Dowager had to show up and greet them.”

Qingyu didn’t understand why Ning Xueyan was in the mood to ask about this, but she still answered in detail.

“Go to the kitchen to check what dishes Madam Dowager asked the cook to prepare,” Ning Xueyan said. She lowered her head and looked outside of the window and continued slowly, “By the way, ask the people in the kitchen who went there yesterday and what they took away from the kitchen and if someone ordered them to cook braised fish. Tell them to cook soup with fishes if there are some in the kitchen today!”

“Miss, shall I stop by the Foggy Courtyard to have a look?” Qingyu asked. Now she understood part of her master’s plan. Looking at her master’s calm face, she somehow calmed down as well.

“You don’t have to do so, as you can’t find anything valuable there.” Ning Xueyan shook her head. A person as smart as Ning Qingshan wouldn’t have left any obvious clue to them. And even if she had already found the maid, the maid couldn’t have much to do with Ning Qingshan. If necessary, Ning Qingshan would manage to disassociate herself from the matter.

“Got it. I’ll go to the kitchen right now.” Qingyu nodded and was about to leave. But when she looked at the stained account book, she was worried again. Apparently the stain couldn’t be wiped, but it was obvious, and if they left it on the page, Madam Dowager would find it. “Miss, what shall we do with the... account book? After lunch, Madam Dowager will ask someone to take the account books from you. What shall we do then?”

“You go to the kitchen first. After finishing what I asked you to do, come back to tell me the result and leave the rest to me.” Ning Xueyan had made up her mind, so she nodded and urged Qingyu to leave.

Qingyu knew it was urgent. She then nodded and pushed open the door and rushed out.

Ning Xueyan stood up and picked up the account books from the table. She carefully pulled out the stained account book and the one which was beneath it, and put them on a handkerchief. She held them with her hand and walked out the door, and then turned to another room.

Mother Wang who ‘couldn’t’ move was lying in the bed of that room.