The Devious First-Daughter

“Cousin, don’t worry. I won’t act rashly. I’ll have to trouble you to give these to my uncle.” Ning Xueyan opened the small bag in her hand, took out a few outdated pieces of paper, and handed them to Ming Yuanhua. There was a hint of hatred in her eyes. This was the reason why she had deliberately asked Ming Yuanhua for help today.

“What’s this?” Ming Yuanhua asked, while opening the papers. The smile on his face froze, and the corners of his eyes twitched. He looked a bit more solemn. He read through them rapidly. When he could see it clearly, he clenched his teeth and said, “How vicious Madam Ling is!”

After he had promised to frame Madam Ming, Concubine Yu’s older brother had kept a piece of paper for his safety. It was a banknote for 1,000 taels of silver with Madam Ling’s signature. The date of signature was also written on it, which was the day before Madam Ming was framed.

The other piece of paper was the written proof of his role in framing Madam Ming. He wrote that Madam Ling asked Mammy Yun to get him to frame Madam Ming. Madam Ming was drugged and put on the bed together with him. Ning Zu’an saw them. He even enclosed Madam Ling’s promise and banknotes at that time. In the end, Auntie Concubine Yu’s brother left his fingerprint on it.

It could be said that this was a piece of irrefutable evidence.

As he looked at them carefully, Ming Yuanhua looked very solemn. The blue veins at the corner of his eyes twitched violently. He stood up suddenly and said, “I’m going to give this to my father now. I’m going to ask him to redress an injustice for my aunt.”

Seeing that he was about to leave in a rage, Ning Xueyan quickly reached out and held Ming Yuanhua’s hand. She said softly, “Cousin, wait a minute. It’s not enough. We only have the evidence, but no witness. Then, Madam Ling may make a false countercharge. We can’t clear this in a short time. Instead, people will suspect my mother’s reputation.”

About Madam Ming’s affair, they would either not mention it or blow it up. Therefore, Ning Xueyan was more than willing to wait. After all, so many years had passed. She did not mind waiting any longer. Then, she would strike Madam Ling in a single stroke, so that she would not be able to stand up again.

“Witness, there is no witness. No matter how hard my father tried, he could not find that person. He has not shown up for so many years. Maybe he has already died. Even if we find this person, will he be the witness for my aunt? After all, he is involved in this matter. If Madam Ling admits her guilt, he will not be able to escape the blame.”

Ming Yuanhua also knew that these two pieces of paper alone, would not solve all the problems. Just like what had happened in the Cloud Reflection Courtyard, everyone suspected the vicious woman, but no one could produce any credible evidence. So, Madam Ling went unpunished. Maybe one and a half years later, when everyone forgot about it, Madam Ling would still be the Marchioness and remain unharmed.

Ming Yuanhua could not calm down whenever he thought about this. His aunt had been wronged, and his father had been sent to another place for more than ten years. Moreover, his cousin had been mistreated in the Lord Protector’s Manor, and all the people in Lord Protector’s Manor treated her coldly. All these made him angry.

“Cousin, don’t worry. Concubine Yu has promised to find her brother as soon as possible. If her brother comes back, she will get him to provide the evidence for my mom.” Ning Xueyan said calmly. Her light blue satin dress made her look even more delicate. However, such a delicate girl gave people a sense of calm and elegance, with a poise quite different from most people of her age.

Looking at the girl’s delicate and beautiful features, the colored glazed complexion, and the faint smile on her beautiful face, Ming Yuanhua gradually calmed down and sat down again. He even felt a kind of pride in her. The girl in front of him was not an ordinary woman who lived in a boudoir and shed tears over the changes of seasons. She was smart.

However, he was also a little sad. He lowered his eyelashes to cover up the complexity in his eyes. He calmed down and thought over what Ning Xueyan had said just now. Then he raised his head again and said, “Cousin, you mean that person is still in contact with her now, and is willing to be a witness.”

“Yes, besides him, there is another person who is willing to be the witness. So, you and my uncle don’t have to worry about the witnesses. The only thing we need to do is wait a little longer. Auntie Yu’s elder brother can’t come right away. It will take at least one month or so. During this period of time, we can’t act rashly, in case Madam Ling finds out about it.”

Ning Xueyan smiled calmly, and a cold sneer flashed in her eyes. Madam Ling could not be as shrewd as she used to be. About what had happened in the Cloud Reflection Courtyard, nobody could denounce her. However, Madam Ling had been caught unprepared. Even if Madam Ling wanted to keep an eye on her, she would not find anything unusual.

Ning Xueyan was quite sure about this, which was also the reason why she came out openly today. Madam Ling was busy enough with her own affairs, or was busy plotting against Ning Zu’an. So, Madam Ling was strong in will, but weak in power. Even the people of the Auspicious Clouds Courtyard were polite to the people of the Bright Frost Garden.

It was Madam Ling’s stalling tactic. After people forgot the incident of the Cloud Reflection Courtyard, the first one that Madam Ling would deal with was Ning Xueyan. Madam Ling and her daughter would blame Ning Xueyan for what had happened to Ning Yuling. In their minds, only they could harm others. If others did not surrender, it would be wrong!

Unfortunately, Madam Ling would never get round to deal with Ning Xueyan again.

Madam Ling had harmed so many people, and now Ning Xueyan was asking for payment of her debt, step by step. At that time, she would see if Madam Ling could withstand all the attacks. Sometimes, a person could suffer another kind of torture, even if she was alive.

“Well, since you’ve made up your mind, my father and I will wait for your message. As long as you say yes, my father will go directly to the Hall of Golden Chime to file a suit. We will wait for the Ning Mansion to explain to our Ming Mansion.” Ming Yuanhua said with anger on his face.

The people of the Ming Manor were the descendants of the former dynasty. It could not be compared with the upstart Lord Protector’s Manor. However, there were still a lot of people left from the previous dynasty like the Ming Manor. Most of these people had official positions now, and they also had many interpersonal connections in the new dynasty. If the current emperor favored the Lord Protector’s Manor, it would be impossible.

If the emperor did not act with justice, it would not only be about the Lord Protector’s Manor. The emperor should be clear about what was important and what mattered less.

“Okay, cousin. That’s settled.” Ning Xueyan smiled and nodded. Then she said slowly, “Cousin, there’s one more thing I need to trouble you with.”

She mentioned it lightly, but Ming Yuanhua felt that it was not something small from Ning Xueyan’s serious attitude. He immediately nodded.

“We’re family. Let’s dispense with the formalities. If there’s anything, just say it, my cousin!”

“Cousin, the account books from my mother’s stores were in Madam Ling’s hands, and then they were sent to the Vice Minister of Justice’s Manor. If we can find those books, it can show that Madam Ling had deliberately framed my mother in order to get my mother’s position and property. Moreover, with these things in hand, Madam Ling will not be able to escape.”

Ning Xueyan took the cup and traced the pattern on it with her finger, with a cold smile on her face.

Madam Ling had secretly sent those account books to the Vice Minister of Justice’s Manor in a carriage that day. If those account books were discovered in the Vice Minister of Justice’s Manor, it would mean that Madam Ling had framed Madam Ming. Madam Ling relied on the intervention of the Vice Minister of Justice’s Manor. She did those things for Ning Huaiyuan and the Ling Manor. Now, the Ling Manor was the Vice Minister of Justice’s Manor. If they could get the Vice Minister of Justice’s Manor into trouble because of these account books, it would be better.

Some shops in those account books had been under her control, while some had become Ning Ziyan’s dowry. At that time, Ning Ziyan would once again be involved in Madam Ling’s scandal. Even if it was slow, the end was the same based on the frog-boiling effect.

“I’ll send someone to check where Madam Ling’s account books are. Since the Vice Minister of Justice’s Manor is not the Ning Manor, nobody will care about the account books. At most, the account books will be placed somewhere. They won’t be hidden as well if it had been at Ning Manor.” Ming Yuanhua immediately understood Ning Xueyan’s meaning and nodded.

Since it was not a good time to alert the enemy, they should only investigate this discreetly. It was said that the Vice Minister of Justice’s Manor was busy with the son’s engagement recently. It should not be a problem for someone to sneak in.

“Thank you, Cousin.” Ning Xueyan knew that Ming Yuanhua understood what she meant, so she smiled gently.

Then, Ning Xueyan asked about her uncle and her aunt’s health conditions. Because Madam Dowager and Ning Zu’an did not allow her to communicate with the people in the Ming Manor, she could not go against their will openly. Only when she saw Ming Yuanhua privately, did she have the opportunity to greet them. Ming Feiyong and others understood her position.

But it was good. If they filed a suit, Ning Xueyan could keep out of the affair. So, Ming Feiyong was not too bothered. He would not have come to visit Ning Xueyan if he had nothing, which made it seem as if he had a general relationship with Ning Xueyan. After all, Ming Feiyong had not seen his niece Ning Xueyan for ten years. There was a difference between a male and a female. Besides, the relationship between them was less intimate than that between Ming Feiyong and Madam Ming. Everyone would think so at that time.

This was what Ming Feiyong needed. So, even if Ning Xueyan wanted to see him, he would usually ask his son to go in his stead. After all, Ming Yuanhua did not have an official position, so he would not draw the attention of others.

After chatting for a while, Ning Xueyan found it was late, so she had to leave. She had to check the address of the new shop later. When she was in the manor, Mother Han had provided two of them. This time, she came out for that reason, so she had to go and take a look.

“Yan’er, you… are really going to marry into Prince Yi’s Manor.” Seeing Ning Xueyan putting on her veiled hat and was about to leave, Ming Yuanhua stood up, opened his mouth, and said this with difficulty. There was a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

“Cousin, don’t worry. It’s all right.” Seeing Ming Yuanhua’s anxiety, Ning Xueyan said softly with a smile, “It’s for the best. Otherwise, I will not have the opportunity to come out now, and it will not be so convenient.”

There were some other reasons that Ning Xueyan had not told him. If Ao Chenyi had not been there, she would have been defeated in the first round with Madam Ling. She could not take advantage of his power to fight back repeatedly. So now, she was not afraid of marrying into Prince Yi’s Manor.

“Are you… really willing to do that?” It seemed that Ming Yuanhua did not hear what Ning Xueyan said. He stared at Ning Xueyan and asked again, his face turning red.

“I am!” This time, Ning Xueyan did not hesitate. With a gentle and firm smile on her face, she looked into Ming Yuanhua’s complicated and dark eyes.

“Okay, that’s good!” Ming Yuanhua clenched his fists and listened to his misgivings with a faint smile. One could not tell what his emotions were from his smile. There was an indescribable smile on his lips, a sense of relaxation, and also an uncontrollable pain…