Chapter 591   Trickery in Chenyuan Palace

The palace had heard of the news by the time Prince Yi’s carriage arrived. Yun Luoluo was escorted out of Prince Yi’s Manor, but brought to the palace by the Empress’ servants on her way home.

Ning Xueyan and Ao Chenyi separated on their way to the palace, with the former heading to Chenyuan Palace and the latter to the Emperor’s study.

One of the Empress’ old eunuchs received Ning Xueyan at the door and led her in with a smiling face. Xinmei walked beside her.

The old eunuch appeared to be an easygoing one. While leading the way, he said, “Princess Yi, I heard Second Young Lady Yun got into trouble at your manor today. She’s just young and reckless. I once met her when she was still a child, when Empress Dowager was still around. She has a lot of growing up to do, it seems.”

A thought occurred to Ning Xueyan and she asked, “You’ve served the Empress Dowager in the past?”

“Yes. I served in the Empress Dowager in the past. After she passed away, the Empress asked for me and so I started serving her instead. In the past, the Empress Dowager was the most respected person in the palace. Even the Emperor listened to her. Now that she was gone, even her maternal family had withered.”

The eunuch sounded regretful like he felt sorry for Lord Peace’s Manor.

“Was the Empress chosen by the Empress Dowager?” Ning Xueyan asked curiously.

“This, I’m not too sure. The Empress is a filial person and had a good relationship with the Empress Dowager when she was still alive. She would help her manage the harem. Even the Emperor praises the Empress highly. Nowadays, there are only a handful of notable young ladies in the Empress Dowager’s family yet they caused such trouble. Sigh! The Empress feels terrible indeed!”

The eunuch sighed again.

Ning Xueyan’s eyes gleamed twice with a thoughtful expression. It seemed that the Empress was implying that she would be protecting Yun Luoluo. Ning Xueyan’s lips curved into a cold smile. She stopped going along with the eunuch’s words and walked quietly as if she didn’t notice his hints.

The eunuch tried speaking up for Yun Luoluo, Commandery Princess Xianyun, and Lord Peace’s Manor. He became upset when he saw Ning Xueyan walking calmly without going along with the conversation. What an insensible person! He had given Ning Xueyan several hints yet she refused to play along. She would definitely suffer when she met the Empress later.

Ning Xueyan’s tactlessness made the eunuch’s expression turn grim and he stopped speaking to her. He snorted in disdain and continued walking.

This was perfect for Ning Xueyan. She was tired of listening to his babbling.

Inside Chenyuan Palace, the Empress occupied the central seat on the platform. She looked quite upset. Sitting beneath her was a middle-aged woman who glared at Ning Xueyan the moment she came in. The woman’s eyes seemed to be burning with fire and her expression was indignant.

After Ning Xueyan curtsied, the Empress told her to sit down without any warmth in her voice.

“Princess Ning, Second Young Lady Yun entered Prince Yi’s Manor to care for her sickly sister. How could something like this happen in just a few days? Is this how you take care of guests at Prince Yi’s Manor? How can you let a young lady be so badly shamed? She’s still trying to commit suicide in my palace now.”

Once Ning Xueyan took her seat, the Empress immediately chided her with a cold expression.

She made it sound as if Yun Luoluo’s current state was Ning Xueyan’s fault. Even if she hadn’t harmed Yun Luoluo, it was her fault for failing to manage the situation and letting it worsen.

“Exactly. Our Luo’er is such an obedient child. She’d never do something like that out of nowhere. She’d never dare to do that unless someone instigated her to do so. Xianyun is now ill, so the entire household is under your supervision, Princess Ning. Are you going to watch our Luo’er lose her face in front of everyone like this?”

The middle-aged woman spoke indignantly while glaring at Ning Xueyan, making it seem as though it was all Ning Xueyan’s fault if she couldn’t explain everything.

This woman ought to be Lord Peace’s wife and mother of Commandery Princess Xianyun and Yun Luoluo.

Ning Xueyan listened to the Empress and Lord Peace’s Madam targeting her with their words.

No wonder the old eunuch would say such things earlier. So, this was waiting for her! They wanted to make her give in to them.

“You’re mistaken, Your Highness. Everyone heard Second Young Lady Yun lying about having an affair with our prince. The madams there also heard that it was all Commandery Princess Xianyun’s plan. I wonder what she means by doing this. Does she want to embarrass Prince Yi’s Manor? She’s also Princess Yi, so that seems unlikely. But what if someone has told her to do so?”

“Besides, Commandery Princess Xianyun isn’t really sick. Shouldn’t you know better if she really needs someone to take care of her, Your Highness?” Ning Xueyan raised her head and looked coldly at the Empress. Although her voice was respectful, her words showed no sign of relenting.

The Empress thought that her chiding would make Ning Xueyan admit defeat. She never thought that such a delicate woman would refuse to admit her mistake and this angered her immensely. Ning Xueyan’s last sentence about Commandery Princess Xianyun’s “illness”, in particular, irritated her. The illness was a lie for other people’s sake.

Commandery Princess Xianyun was put on house arrest for making a mistake. Saying that she was ill was just a way of saving face for everyone. Yun Luoluo serving her sick sister was really because of her previous mistake.

“Ning Xueyan, I once said that you’re in charge of the matters in Prince Yi’s Manor. You can’t escape responsibility for such a major incident. Hearing your explanation, do you perhaps have complaints about Commandery Princess Xianyun and Lord Peace’s Manor? You should remember your status! You were originally just a concubine!”

The Empress said coldly, while wearing an air of moral integrity.

Ning Xueyan’s expression turned cold in the face of the Empress’ pressure. She raised her head and met her eyes straight on. “Your Highness, are you going to say that I instigated Second Young Lady Yun next? That because I manage the inner courtyard of Prince Yi’s Manor, Second Young Lady Yun’s actions are my problem? Doesn’t this mean that you’ll also consider everything that happens in the palace as your responsibility, Your Highness?”

It was obvious from the Empress’ attempt to suppress Ning Xueyan that she was taking the side of Yun Luoluo, Commandery Princess Xianyun, and even Lord Peace’s Manor. Once Ning Xueyan gave in, Ao Chenyi wouldn’t be able to say anything about it. This was why Ning Xueyan would never bow her head. She must not let anyone use her to suppress Ao Chenyi.

“Your Highness, so many people saw and heard Second Young Lady Yun’s words. Why don’t you invite them and hear what they have to say? If I’m lying, I’ll resign from my position as the princess. But if I’m telling the truth, how will you make Lord Peace’s Manor compensate our manor, Your Highness?”

“This girl is going too far!” The Empress’ face turned grim. She wished she could get her servants to drag Ning Xueyan out for a beating. Ning Xueyan was just a consort-turned-princess; how dare she speak to her like this? She truly didn’t know her place.

Had Ning Xueyan been the wife of other princes, the Empress would have indicted her on the crime of contradicting her elder. Unfortunately, Ning Xueyan was Princess Yi. Despite knowing that Ao Chenyi didn’t favor Ning Xueyan, she was nonetheless his princess on the surface. If the Empress punished Ning Xueyan, she would be going against Ao Chenyi. Knowing his temper, he would surely retaliate viciously.

“Princess Ning, watch how you’re speaking to the Empress!” Lord Peace’s Madam chided in a stern voice.

“Marchioness, I respect you as a madam only because you’re older than me. Did you think that there’s a place for you to speak while the Empress and I are discussing a bet?” Ning Xueyan’s eyes were ice-cold as she looked at Lord Peace’s Madam. Her pupils carried a hint of sarcasm.

If Lord Peace’s Manor wasn’t the Empress Dowager’s family, they would be no match for Lord Protector’s Manor.

Lord Peace’s Manor appeared honorable and glorious when the Empress Dowager was still alive, but she was gone now. According to Ao Chenyi, the Empress Dowager was no simple character. She was likely an ambitious woman, seeing how she kept the heir apparent close. A woman like this, especially when she wasn’t the current Emperor’s biological mother, would surely cause a conflict.

There was likely another reason why she died so early in life.

And the only reason why Lord Peace’s Manor could maintain their glory was that the Emperor had to protect his reputation for being a filial son.

At the root of it all, the Emperor probably didn’t like Lord Peace’s Manor.

The Empress and Lord Peace Madam didn’t expect that Ning Xueyan, infamous for being incompetent, would be so sharp-tongued. They looked down on her immensely, considering her to be a mere sickly woman, and thought that she would give in with just a few chiding words. They never expected her to be so aggressive.

Lord Peace Madam trembled all over after hearing Ning Xueyan scold her. “You... How dare you say such things! You’re just a consort, a concubine! My daughter is the princess! How dare a concubine speak to me like this! You’re rebelling! Rebelling!”

She turned around and knelt in front of the Empress with tears streaming down her face. “Your Highness, I... I’m too ashamed to live. A lowly concubine dares to go against my words! When the Empress Dowager was still around, no one would have dared to say such things. Could it be that after the Empress Dowager was gone, even a mere concubine would dare to humiliate Lord Peace’s Manor?”

“Your Highness, if this is how low we’ve fallen, there’, there’s no reason for me to live anymore!” Lord Peace Madam said. She raised her sleeve to her head, stood up, and knocked into a nearby pillar, all while loudly crying, “Empress Dowager, our Lord Peace’s Manor has been humiliated!”

“Hurry up and stop her!” The panicked Empress stood up abruptly.

A nearby eunuch immediately stopped Lord Peace’s Madam. The farce finally stopped with Lord Peace’s Madam weeping loudly and shouting for the Empress Dowager over and over.

The palace was in a mess.

The Empress sat down again and looked at Ning Xueyan gloomily. Through it all, Ning Xueyan continued to sit in her place expressionlessly as if she wasn’t disturbed by Lord Peace’s Madam in the slightest. She was even smiling gracefully.

Compared to Lord Peace’s Madam, Ning Xueyan looked even more like an educated lady sitting there confidently. The Empress’ angry expression gradually disappeared as a trace of surprise crossed her eyes.