Chapter 56 The Private Meeting and the Wrong Person
"The Chrysanthemum Party is held by Honored Consort Ya. How did the lecher come in easily?"
"Nobody can take the blame if he bothered Honored Consort Ya."
While talking, the guards took a man over. Although he lowered his head and couldn’t be seen clearly, it could be told from his body that he was a man. He was in an ordinary dress instead of fineries, but he wasn’t a servant.
A lot of things happened during the party. The earlier thing wasn’t handled yet, now this man came from nowhere. Honored Consort Ya’s face became darker and darker. The persons here were all from noble families with honorable statuses. She wasn’t able to take the blame if bad things occurred. Honored Consort Ya stood up suddenly and said with great anger, "How dare you sneak here. Take him out and flog him hard 50 times."
It would kill him after taking 50 times of flogging. Although he was young and strong, he couldn’t take it.
Two guards who dragged the man in took him aside without thinking twice. The man started to scream because of fears, "Honored Consort Ya, please don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me! I was invited here!"
Here it was. Ning Yuling showed a smug face, staring at Ning Xueyan viciously. She gritted her teeth tightly and only got one thought in her mind, which was the one who was unlucky today should be Ning Xueyan... It must be her...
Invited? Again? People showed doubtful faces. Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li just said he had been invited by Ning Yuling. Now there was another man saying he was invited.
"Take him back!" Third Prince said coldly. He moved forward.
The guards dragged the man back. Now people saw him clearly. The young man with good looks was in a mess because his clothes were untidy. Seeing Third Prince stood high in front of him, he knew this man was a big shot so he answered hastily.
"A lady sent her maid secretly to give me a letter saying the lady has a crush on me, so she asked me to see her. I doubt it and come here to have a look. I’m not planning anything. My childe, please find out the truth."
The man said as his eyes moved quickly. It meant he was unreliable.
"Who invited you here?" Third Prince asked coldly. Same things kept happening, which made him so angry. His eye-sight flashed over noble ladies’ faces one by one. Whoever watched by him, they all dropped their heads with bloodless faces. Then he looked into a pair of profound peaceful eyes.
He drew back a little of his harshness in his eyes. He saw exactly a prince’s wife’s temperament.
"It’s... it’s..." The man could hardly breathe. He was frightened by atrocious guards beside him.
"Are you going to say or not?" Third Prince threatened him, looking at him leeringly.
"It’s the Second Young Lady of Lord Protector’s Manor." The murderous look of Third Prince scared the man so he shouted loudly.
A smug smile froze on Ning Yuling’s face. She looked at the man with total amazement. How... How could it be? It should be Ning Xueyan!
Madam Dowager clenched her hands tightly. Her face turned dark. She looked at Ning Yuling, gritting her teeth. It was her again! Everything happened today was because of Ning Yuling, which made Lord Protector’s Manor lose all its dignity. But what could she do now? The only thing in Madam Dowager’s mind was to rush to slap her face heavily.
"Oh, no wonder the maid told me where Second Young Lady was and asked me to find her. It turns out I’m the wrong person. He is the one she wants. Bitch! There are other men she flirted with besides me!" Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li shouted loud passing the buck to Ning Yuling without hesitation. He pretended to be innocent now.
"A woman like her won’t be accepted by anyone. It’s unexpected that ethics and moral standards of Lord Protector’s family is ..." Consort Dowager said coldly. She was ashamed of the things her grandson just did.
Ning Yuling looked at them with a cold smile, feeling ironic. Madam Ling intended to do harm to her by letting a painter paint the obscene picture for Princely Heir. So did Ning Yuling. She asked the man to ruin her reputation. In the end, Ning Yuling took them all.
The situation at present was all their own fault. Madam Ling and Ning Yuling took it themselves.
Ning Yuling started trembling because she was angry and worried. But she couldn’t say a word for her lip shivered. How could it be her instead of Ning Xueyan?
Ning Yuling was shrewish so she pushed away an older female servant and wanted to abuse the man. She showed a ferocious face, looking at the man.
Xianghong, who stood beside her, reached out to stop her, whispering to her ear.
Her words stunned Ning Xueyan immediately. Shock, hatred, and fear were all on her face.
It was Ning Yuling’s plan. She asked Xianghong to tell the man that Ning Xueyan had a crush on him but couldn’t be with him, and she would like to be his concubine because her family wanted to marry her to someone. Moreover, Xianghong told the man that Ning Xueyan wanted him to send a servant to ruin her reputation so that he could help her. In the end, Lord Protector’s Manor would agree with their marriage.
However, instead of ruining Ning Xueyan’s reputation, Ning Yuling became the victim.
Ning Yuling felt her blood become cold. She could feel the disdain and disgust in people’s eyes. When she raised her head, she looked into Ning Xueyan’s profound dark eyes. She only saw the coldness in them. So was her silent lip.
"It’s you. It’s you. Isn’t it?" Ning Yuling screamed, pointing at Ning Xueyan in a rage. Her face was twisted.
"My second sister, what are you talking about? I... know nothing at all." Ning Xueyan answered calmly with a pair of peaceful eyes. She stood aside in no hurry. Her beautiful face showed no fear and panic.
"Bitch! It must be you! The shame was on you. You seduced men then planted it on me." Ning Yuling was furious. She shouted in a rage. She wasn’t willing to face the truth that she planned everything, but it turned out to be her shame.
The rouge and make-up were stacked on Ning Yuling’s face. Tears made them become colorful marks. Her ugly looks made people hate her more.
"My second sister, please don’t be angry. Someone may frame you up. Let grandma find the truth. If she can’t, we will tell some officers. All in all, we won’t let anyone tarnish your reputation for no reason." Ning Xueyan pretended to be thoughtful.
This reminded Madam Dowager. She said, "Frisk him!"
Two older female servants did what she asked right now. They searched all over his body and found a gold head-ornament flower in her arms. Madam Dowager was in silence when she saw it. Her face was twisted while she held tightly the same gold flower in her hands. Of course, she knew what it was. This was a usual ornament in Lord Protector’s Manor.
There was a sign on the top of it, which represented her manor. Besides, the type of the flower only belonged to Ning Yuling.
Seeing Madam Dowager’s action, people understood immediately that the ornament was Ning Yuling’s.
Ning Xueyan showed a little shock on her face but she hid it perfectly. She turned to her angry grandma and said, "Grandmother, my second sister will never do such a thing. She might think it was funny so she wanted to imitate the drama. The worst persons are her maids. They didn’t stop her. When the truth is exposed, they are afraid of punishments so they frame up Yan’er... Grandmother, please forgive my second sister!"
Ning Yuling started to rebuke Ning Xueyan after hearing what her maid said. This made people think Ning Yuling’s maid suggested her to frame up her sister. The maid was the same as her mistress.
Moreover, Ning Xueyan’s words could prove Ning Yuling’s sins.
"You... you, I..." Ning Yuling’s face was ugly. She couldn’t say a word pointing at Ning Xueyan. She could do nothing now. All she knew was what Xianghong said was about last night’s plan. The man ought to be sent by Princely Heir. Xianghong tried to warn her. But she couldn’t tell people this.
Madam Dowager’s face became worse. She had no idea what to do, gritting her teeth. Hearing what Ning Xueyan said, she understood the situation clearly. She decided to walk towards Ning Yuling and slap her. Ning Yuling stepped back a little then fell down on the ground. Her lip was broken and the blood came out.
"Grandmother..." Ning Yuling covered her mouth, looking at Madam Dowager. She couldn’t believe this.
"Xianghong connived her mistress. Flog her to death!" Madam Dowager rebuked, staring at Xianghong in rage.
"Madam Dowager..." Xianghong was astonished, she knelt on the ground and said, "It’s Second Young Lady..."
The whole plan was from Ning Yuling, so Xianghong was unwilling to take the blame.
Madam Dowager didn’t give her more chance to explain. "Mute her and flog her hard!"
Xianghong wanted to say more but someone already did what Madam Dowager asked. She couldn’t say anything anymore.
"Grandmother, how to deal with this man?" Ning Xueyan asked, pointing at the man.
"Drag him out and flog him hard, too. Then deliver him to the office." Madam Dowager rebuked again when she heard Ning Xueyan’s question because she was in rage now.
The man saw the guards walking towards him, he started to shout in spite of everything, "My madam, it’s real that Second Young Lady asked me here. She said she didn’t want to marry a prince or an heir. She just wanted to be with me. But she was afraid her manor would be against her so she made the plan. Madam, please let us be!"
"Mute him and drag him out! Now!" Madam Dowager knocked the ground using her stick in a rage. Even Honored Consort Ya’s and Third Prince’s faces grew dark.
When two guards saw Third Prince’s horrible look, they muted the man quickly and dragged him out immediately. Everybody here knew Ning Yuling and Third Prince were engaged. Now they found out Ning Yuling had private relationships with other men. This would embarrass Third Prince.
Being stared by Third Prince’s cold eyes, Ning Yuling dared not to say more. She started to cry, covering her face.