Ning Xueyan was in poor health so she went last, with Qingyu and Lanning following behind her.

Seeing that there was no one around, Qingyu leaned against Ning Xueyan and whispered to her, "Young Lady, the Third Prince has gone back. He left in a hurry so most of the people in the manor don’t know that. The Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li is resting in the Chinese Flowering Crabapple Pavilion. Then I went to the Second Young Lady’s courtyard. However, I met Miao’er, the personal servant of the Second Young Lady before I got to the Second Young Lady’s courtyard."

"Oh, what did she say?" Ning Xueyan asked without betraying any emotion.

"Young Lady, you are so smart. I told her the thing about the Third Prince. I also told her that the Third Prince was still in the Chinese Flowering Crabapple Pavilion and was waiting for you to meet him there." Qingyu then said with admiration, "I saw that the eyes of Miao’er lit up, then she immediately turned around and walked away, exactly as you predicted. You foretold it like a prophet. You motivated her to act on her own with just one trick."

Ning Xueyan sneered at the bottom of her heart. "Ning Yuling always fancies herself. She is ambitious and has many evil intentions. There have been days that she has been secretly admiring the Third Prince. Now after such a thing happened, how could she have no plans of her own? Now upon hearing that the Third Prince asked me out, she would definitely wish I were dead in her heart.

"If I were the previous Ning Xueyan, I would die sooner or later in her hands long before Madam Ling made her moves.

"Fortunately, she has no time to torture me now..."

"After that, I didn’t leave. Instead, I stayed by the rockeries. After a while, sure enough, I saw the perfectly coiffed Second Young Lady hurry to the Chinese Flowering Crabapple Pavilion with Miao’er. The face of the Second Young Lady was covered by a veil. She dressed with simplicity, just like your usual style." Qingyu chuckled.

"The way the Second Young Lady dressed today was completely different from her normal dressed-to-the-nines style. She also deliberately covered her face with a veil. As you had expected, she dressed herself up like you. Pretending to be you, she went to go on a date with the Third Prince, which was really shameless. Fortunately, one was shameless and one was bored. What a good match!"

The Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li felt extremely bored!

When the Third Prince was there, they always enjoyed the flowers in the Chinese Flowering Crabapple Pavilion and had a chat. It felt like nothing special at that time. But now that the Third Prince was gone and Consort Dowager was still inside, he felt exceedingly bored alone. Often at this time, he would have snuggled up with women. Thinking of this, he felt an itch for the temptation.

"I shouldn’t have any trouble with the Fifth Young Lady."

Feeling bored, he had all his servants go out. Now he was alone. He hung a gauze mosquito net and lay down on the couch, closing his eyes to take a rest.

At first, he just could not fall asleep. Then in a daze, he fell asleep slowly. Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door. Touching his slightly unconscious head, he said impatiently, "Come in."

As the door opened, a simply dressed woman with a fascinating body and a pair of big, beautiful eyes walked in gracefully.

The drowsiness of the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li was gone instantly. He widened his eyes to examine the woman in front of him. Judging by her figure alone, he could tell that she was a beauty. Moreover, this beauty was now looking at him with affection. The Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li, who was used to dealing with women—how could he not understand that this beauty in front of him was obviously interested in him?

It did not occur to him that there such a beautiful woman who knew about romance and feelings was hiding in Lord Protector’s Manor. In an instant, his whole body became burning hot with ecstasy in his heart.

"It seems that it’s a beauty that Lord Protector’s Manor has prepared for me. They must know that I am lonely and bored here," the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li thought to himself. At this time, he got increasingly good feelings toward the Lord Protector’s Manor.

Through the gauze net, he reached out his hands and waved at her with a smile. "Come, come here. You beautiful woman, come here."

He was not some upright gentleman. Seeing the image of the extremely coquettish beauty, he had melted long ago. She was radiant and enchanting and she looked seductive with her well-developed body, which just happened to be the type he liked.

Shyly, Ning Yuling looked at the bed with the curtains hanging. But in her heart, she cursed the bitch Ning Xueyan. "Judging by the words said by the Third Prince, he is quite very familiar with Ning Xueyan. They should have had an affair early on. I never thought that would I actually get a great bargain today. When I get married to the Third Prince, I’ll grind that bitch hard beneath my feet.

"Don’t even think of marrying into the Third Prince’s Manor, you bitch."

"Yes! I’m coming!" Ning Yuling thought that she was perfectly sound and able this time. When she entered the door, she left Miao’er outside to stop Ning Xueyan. Upon hearing "the Third Prince" call her, she answered in a sweet voice and started to walk over to the bed. Before she got to the bedside, a hand reached out from within the curtains and grabbed her hand. Then, Ning Yuling’s entire body fell onto the bed along with the curtains.

Listening to her voice, all the bones of the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li became limp. He didn’t expect that the beauty that Lord Protector’s Manor casually sent out was even much more lascivious than the famous prostitutes in the brothels.

Since the beauty brought herself over to him and the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li himself was a dissolute person, how could he refuse her?

Furthermore, he had been so closely watched by Consort Dowager during these two days that there was no time for him to do anything romantic. He finally took a fancy to Ning Yuling but it turned out that the bitch Ning Yuling was a vamp. The Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li felt miserable even at the thought of Ning Yuling.

Now that he had gotten a chance to indulge himself, how could he let her go?

He dragged Ning Yuling over to him, touching and kissing her.

Ning Yuling was shocked first. She did not expect that the gentle and cultivated Third Prince could be so anxious. She secretly cursed to herself, what a bitch that Ning Xueyan was. Then her body softened and she just allowed him to do anything to her. She thought to herself, "No matter if I make it or not today, with such a beginning, the Third Prince will have no choice but to marry me."

With such a distinguished status as the Consort of the Third Prince, no one would dare to talk about that matter of releasing animals in Cold Mountain Temple.

"Your Highness... I have long admired you. Today, I came here especially to see you... In my heart, you are the only real man that I want to marry." Puffing and blowing, Ning Yuling could not help expressing her true feelings when she was touched and kissed by the man.

At the thought of Ning Xueyan coming here and seeing that she was lying with the Third Prince, Ning Yuling felt quite relieved. "Ning Xueyan, you little bitch, you even dared to seduce the Third Prince. However, you can only watch me be the Consort of the Third Prince." Thinking of this, Ning Yuling became very excited and her whole body was trembling because of the excitement.

"That little bitch, I must make her live a life that is cheaper and nastier than pigs’ and dogs’."

The Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li was so tempted that he was anxious to make further moves. Tearing off the gauze clothes on the beauty in a hurry, he completely failed to catch Ning Yuling’s words. Totally concentrating on his own business at hand while gasping, he nodded casually. "You beauty, rest assured. I will let you know who the real man is today. Now, let me take care of you nicely."

"I... Ning Xueyan and me..." Ning Yuling twisted her body, unwilling to stop. "Your Highness, out of that bitch Ning Xueyan and me, who do you think is better?"

"You, you are better. Of course, you are the better one. No one can be better than you. You are my most beloved woman..." With the beauty in his arms, now the head of the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li was full of carnal desires. Without considering Ning Yuling’s words too much, he answered while smiling and pressed Ning Yuling down on the bed. He was in such a hurry that he did not even pull the veil off her face...

In Buddha Hall—

Madam Dowager and Consort Dowager pushed the door of the small Buddha Hall open. The inside of Buddha Hall was very quiet and nobody was there. Let alone the whole body of Ning Yuling, there was not even a piece of her clothes there. Madam Dowager was angry on the spot. She turned back and slapped Madam Ling’s face hard, which knocked Madam Ling two steps backward and she almost fell off the steps.

"What happened? Tell me now." Madam Dowager felt extreme hatred as she pointed at Madam Ling and scolded her.

It turned out that Madam Ling overtly agreed but secretly acted to the contrary. All of a sudden, Madam Dowager felt so humiliated. Looking at the sullen face of Consort Dowager, who was standing at the side, Madam Dowager really wanted to gulp Madam Ling down. She hated Madam Ling since the first day she became her daughter-in-law.

"Mother, it’s probably because Ling’er fainted just now so the servants brought her back. That’s why she... she is not here." Madam Ling tried hard to dispute it while sweat dripped from her face.

"Grandmother, don’t worry. Perhaps something really happened to my second sister. Kneeling from yesterday until today, her body couldn’t withstand it. Thus, it’s also possible that she passed out!" Ning Xueyan came over. She supported Madam Dowager gently and said softly to save Madam Dowager from embarrassment.

Not all the people present were from Lord Protector’s Manor. Hence, at this time, she mustn’t launch a frontal attack directly. Instead, she should guide her enemies in the direction she wanted them to go.

It seemed that her words were to rescue Madam Ling and Madam Dowager from a siege. However, when that thing broke out later, Madam Ling would shoulder greater responsibilities. Now, Ning Xueyan had set the trap and then Madam Ling would jump in it herself.

"Yes... Right, it must be because Ling’er is in poor health. Mother, I remember that the maid of Ling’er had appeared outside just now. I guess that she must want to report what happened to Ling’er. But I stayed inside and it was inconvenient to go outside at that time. So I didn’t know what happened to Ling’er." Madam Ling nodded continuously. Upon hearing the reason that Ning Xueyan offered, Madam Ling accepted it immediately and made up her further explanations.

"Did the Second Young Lady faint?" Madam Dowager looked coldly at Madam Ling.

Madam Ling nodded hard. "Yes, yes. Mother, it must be."

"Are you sure that your Second Young Lady is resting in her own courtyard?" Consort Dowager asked with a sneer while glaring at Madam Ling with anger.

Just now, her maid brought back a message from the servant. He said that he saw a well-dressed woman go to the room of the Princely Heir. The Princely Heir was resting in the room alone. And the servant could barely hear the maid call the woman Second Young Lady. Upon hearing the message, Consort Dowager gnashed her teeth with hatred. That shameless Ning Yuling! She even dared to seduce her grandson. How could Consort Dowager not hate her to the extreme?

Consort Dowager swore to herself. "Such a bitchy woman wants to become my granddaughter-in-law. Don’t even try it."

"Yes, Ling’er has never been in good health. After kneeling in Buddha Hall for one night, she just couldn’t support herself anymore and fainted. She must have been brought back to her courtyard to rest by the servants." Madam Ling became increasingly good at making up lies. She guessed that Ning Yuling had to be in Qingrong Courtyard, and hence, she had to be resting. Even if Madam Dowager suggested to take a look, she was not afraid.

Just now, she had already sent a message to the people in Qingrong Courtyard. She asked Ning Yuling to fake an illness so they could get away with this thing today.

"Are you sure, Madam Ling?" Consort Dowager followed up.

"Of course!" Although Madam Ling was not clear why Consort Dowager asked her like this, she still nodded hard and stated categorically.

Madam Dowager frowned deeply. It was only because Madam Ling answered with such certainty that it was inconvenient for her to say anything further. Her eyes fell on Madam Ling, sullen and cold. "Consort Dowager inquired into the things about Ning Yuling over and over again, which definitely would not be okay. At this very moment, Madam Ling didn’t even try to find out the truth but just swore blindly.

"She said everything too absolutely without leaving herself a way out. She is truly stupid enough!"

"Mother, maybe my second sister isn’t..." Stretching out her hand, Ning Xueyan pulled Madam Ling and lowered her voice to speak.

It seemed that she wanted to warn Madam Ling. But simply because the warning came from Ning Xueyan, Madam Ling would not believe a single word of it. Staring at Ning Xueyan, she said with a skin-deep smile, "Fifth Young Lady, what do you mean by saying this? Ling’er is your sister. She certainly would go to rest in the courtyard when she fainted. Why do you still think that she is not resting in the courtyard?"

By saying this, she implied that Ning Xueyan wanted to frame Ning Yuling.

"Yes, Mother. You are right!" Ning Xueyan did not argue with Madam Ling. She stepped back two steps and stayed near Madam Dowager.

Madam Dowager heard Ning Xueyan try to help Madam Ling out of the predicament. However, that idiot not only appeared ungrateful, but she also blamed Ning Xueyan. Madam Dowager became furious.

"Come on, let’s go to the Chinese Flowering Crabapple Pavilion!" Consort Dowager no longer hesitated. She was now extremely impatient!