The Devious First-Daughter (Web Novel)

Chapter 417 An Exquisite Box with an Interlayer

On the beautifully carved box, there was something that looked like another layer. It was very thin, and it was also an open tier that had a folded note enclosed within.

If this note had not been only half-hidden outside, one would not have been able to see that there was such a thin tier there. It was unexpected that there was such an interlayer in such a delicate box. It was something out of the blue.

When Ning Xueyan took the note, she was not in a hurry to read it. Instead, she took out the pair of jade Ruyi Sceptre from the box and looked at the box with interest. The jade Ruyi Sceptre was not very big, and it fitted well in the box. The box was not thick when she touched it. The end of the interlayer was carefully set at the edge of the box.

There were two dark sides, and the patterns on both sides of the dark side looked exactly the same. However, the opening of the interlayer was right there. Who would have thought that this flower pattern was incomplete? It was at the opening, and the opening was right there.

“Young Lady, this box is really exquisite. If you did not tell me, I would not have noticed it.” Lanning also came over, and looked at it with interest. She looked at Ning Xueyan, as she said this with a smile.

“It’s so exquisite.” Ning Xueyan nodded. There was something flashing in her eyes, but she did not grasp it for a moment. It seemed that she had forgotten something important. She put her hand on the lid and thought of it, with a frown.

“Young Lady, do you want to take a look at the note first?” Seeing that she was in a daze, Lanning was afraid that she would recall that Prince Yi had not given her face in front of everyone. So she quickly changed the topic.

Ning Xueyan nodded, put down the box, and opened the note. There were actually a lot of words written on it, and she could tell it was his handwriting at first glance. His calligraphy was lively and bold, with a kind of imposing manner. “Sit on top of the mountain to watch the tigers fight.”

Sit on top of the mountain to watch the tigers fight? Was it to remind her not to get involved in the affairs of the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince? In other words, it was to tell her to stay out of the affairs of the Cloud Reflection Courtyard. Or it could also be that he did not want her to have anything to do with the Cloud Reflection Courtyard. The corners of her lips curved slightly with a trace of bitterness. She did not want to get involved, but she was already involved in the game.

How could she not get involved in the matter of the Cloud Reflection Courtyard? How could she forget her hatred of Madam Ling, her daughter, and Xia Yuhang? She had nightmares for a period of time after her rebirth, because of that bloody night.

“Young Lady, what’s wrong?” Seeing Ning Xueyan’s glowering look, Lanning asked anxiously. She stole a glance at the note in Ning Xueyan’s hand. She doubted if Prince Yi had said something terrible to her Young Lady. Otherwise, why was there such sadness in her Young Lady’s eyes? She did not look very good.

“I’m fine.” Ning Xueyan sat down and threw the note into a cup at one side. She watched the note being soaked by the water in the cup. In the end, the whole note would be soaked in the water. No one would know what was written on it anymore. “Lanning, do you believe in the paranormal theory?”

“Young Lady, why do you ask this question?” Lanning was stunned. She did not expect that Ning Xueyan would suddenly ask such a question.

“Do you think it’s possible? Ning Ziying has been watching and waiting for those people to be punished?” It seemed that Ning Xueyan did not see the confusion on Lanning’s face. She stared into the distance as she said this calmly. Her long eyelashes fluttered, leaving two uneven shadows. However, her delicate facial features seemed to be gloomy and forlorn.

Although she was sitting there, and the window was covered with colorful flowers, the flowers seemed to make her even more melancholy. She was seated right in front of Lanning, but Lanning felt that her young lady was far away from her. An inexplicable sorrow surged in Lanning’s heart.

In the past, Young Lady Ziying was also very beautiful. Compared with this childish young lady in front of her, she was more attractive. But in the end, Young Lady Ziying, who was exceedingly beautiful, died in the lotus pond at the Cloud Reflection Courtyard for no reason. Moreover, she seemed to have been abused before being killed at that time.

She could have been married when she was at her prime, but Young Lady Ziying ended up in this manner.

“Young Lady, there is no such thing in the world…” Lanning forced a smile, in order to comfort Ning Xueyan, but she could not say the words. Who would have thought that such a gentle and kind Young Lady Ziying would die in this manner?

“Are there no ghosts in this world? Then those bad guys do not have to suffer retribution?” It seemed that Ning Xueyan was asking Lanning, but Lanning knew that she was not talking to her. She sat there gracefully. She raised her eyes slightly, with a glimmer of light in her beautiful eyes, which otherwise had a very complicated expression in them.

Even though her lips were lighter in color than anyone else, she appeared more delicate. With the fiery peach blossoms in the background, she had a cold and disdainful look, which was scary.

Lanning subconsciously clenched her fists and said, while gritting her teeth, “How could those people not get their retribution? It’s just that it is not the right time.”

“It is not the right time yet? When the time is right, they will get their retribution. This is the nature of the world.” Ning Xueyan’s eyes were black and bright and filled with coldness. Lanning could see it this time. The coldness seemed to be the only glimmer of light in her black eyes, which shocked Lanning so much that she could not speak.

Ning Xueyan was so bitter, so unwilling, so cold, and even seemed a little cruel. This made Lanning feel that the Young Lady in front of her was weird and dangerous. However, she felt that such a young lady was safe and told herself that such a young lady was the most reliable.

“Young Lady, Prince Yi came here today regarding the matter of Cloud Reflection Courtyard?” Lanning suddenly dared not look at her young lady. She smiled hurriedly and changed the topic.

“No!” Ning Xueyan took hold of herself. She reached out and closed the box. She asked Lanning to put it aside.

With Ao Chenyi’s ability, it was not difficult to find out if Ning Ziying had been living in the Cloud Reflection Courtyard. He had been paying attention to the military medallion in Ning Zu’an’s study, and he was familiar with the courtyard of the Lord Protector’s Manor. If he had not shown her the way, she would not have known which courtyard Madam Ming had lived in, before she came to the Lord Protector’s Manor.

Ning Ziying had stayed in the Lord Protector’s Manor for three years. Even if others did not know, it was impossible for him not to know.

Maybe he did not care about it before, but if he wanted to investigate, he would be able to get more information than the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince. Now even the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were alarmed. How could he not know anything about it?

“So Prince Yi came here to see you?” Lanning suddenly understood and said this in surprise. She was really happy for Ning Xueyan.

She did not know about the relationship between Prince Yi and her Young Lady, until a later time. With such a high status, Prince Yi still thought highly of her young lady. It must be because she was different from others. Besides, he even gave her a pigeon which could be used to send messages. Although Ning Xueyan later felt that it was too eye-catching, and was afraid it would be intercepted by someone, she simply asked Xinmei to give it back to Prince Yi.

But no matter what, it could be seen that Prince Yi treated her young lady differently. As Ning Xueyan’s henchman, she certainly hoped that Ning Xueyan would live a good life. As her fear of the future gradually subsided, a faint smile appeared at the corners of her mouth. She was happy for Ning Xueyan.

“No!” Ning Xueyan’s answer made her smile stiffly. She blinked, looked at the box, and then looked at Ning Xueyan. She was confused for a moment.

“Both the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince came to the Lord Protector’s Manor. If Prince Yi did not turn up as well, it would show that he had known about it earlier. Now that he is here, the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince would not know why he came over. After all, the thing about Sister Ziying has alarmed many people. It would be strange if Prince Yi does not know about it. Besides, he has not taken any action. It was likely that he knew or has already taken action.”

Ning Xueyan analyzed this calmly. She used a barely reasonable excuse to show his purpose in coming here. Besides, he deliberately did not go to the Cloud Reflection Courtyard to check. It seemed that he was not interested in that place at all. Such an action would definitely make the two princes and the emperor behind them, unable to keep track of his movements.

On the other hand, he also saved her from trouble. Anyway, the reason he gave was reasonable. He would marry the consort and the co-consort at the same time, which gave her great glory. However, she was at the center of a dispute. Although Commandery Princess Xianyun proposed this, Commandery Princess had been forced to do so at that time, so she had to agree.

The request was put forward by Ao Chenyi’s “favorite concubine,”, and it seemed to have nothing to do with Ning Xueyan. Commandery Princess Xianyun would make trouble for that “favorite concubine.” However, in this world, the human heart was most elusive. Hearing that both consort and co-consort were to be married to Prince Yi at the same time, how could Commandery Princess Xianyun not be jealous? What would others think? How could people in the palace not be suspicious about this?

Ning Xueyan’s self-protection ability was a little weaker than that of the royal family. If the person in the imperial palace had doubts about something, even the slightest suspicion might lead to a fatal disaster. The reason why Ao Chenyi could do such a thing in such a disrespectful way today was because he wanted to help her.

She was relieved for a while.

“How’s Mother Wang?” Seeing Lanning packing up the box, Ning Xueyan stood up and walked to the window. She looked at the flowers outside the window and took a deep breath. There was a trace of seriousness in her shimmery eyes. Since Concubine Yu came to the manor, Mother Wang still lived there and did not leave.

On the one hand, that place was indeed habitable, and it was not far away. If something happened, she just needed to call. But now that the matter of Cloud Reflection Courtyard had been exposed, Ning Ziying’s past events had been in the limelight. Now that Third Prince and Fourth Prince had intervened, they believed that Mother Wang’s matter would be investigated into by them.

She was not afraid that Mother Wang would talk about Ning Ziying, but she was worried that the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince would focus on her. It was easy to draw the attention of others, when she kept Lanning around. If they found out about Mother Wang, she would come under more suspicion. After all, most of the people in the royal family were very shrewd.

“Young Lady, don’t worry. Mother Wang has already moved to a safe place. I went with her that day. I told the others that Mother Wang was feeling better and has gone back to her hometown.”

Lanning said this, as she looked admiringly at Ning Xueyan’s slender figure. She also knew that Mother Wang could not appear in front of others now. Thinking about how her Young Lady had suddenly asked her to take Mother Wang away a few days ago, Lanning still could not figure it out at the moment. After seeing the Third Prince’s and the Fourth Prince’s behavior today, she suddenly understood.