Chapter 505: Housekeeper of the Inner Courtyard

Ning Xueyan avoided her quietly, smiled, and stepped aside. “Please go first, princess.”

“It’s not a big deal. Since we are now members of the prince’s mansion, we should naturally call each other sister, and there is no need to show so much courtesy. During the time you left, I was afraid that you would go the wrong way and especially asked Her Highness the Empress to look for you.” Commandery Princess Xianyun, who seemed to be in a good mood, showed that she did not care about what happened last night at all and deliberately talked to her with a friendly attitude. Her eyes and brows were relaxed, and her manner was dignified and generous.

“Thank you, princess.” Ning Xueyan nodded meekly. Knowing that Commandery Princess Xianyun had something to tell her, she walked side by side with Commandery Princess Xianyun sensibly.

Seeing her coming in with her sensibly, Commandery Princess Xianyun showed a slight satisfaction on her face. “Fifth Young Lady Ning seems to have a little good vision. Although I, the princess, did not get a good result last night, she, the consort, was also defeated by a concubine. Since she bit the corner of her lips so deeply, she must have had so much hatred; otherwise, she would not have bitten herself so hard.

“It’s good she has anger!”

For Commandery Princess Xianyun, she had made up her mind to deal with this concubine before being married into the mansion. “In the prince’s mansion of mine, I will not allow other women to have a higher position than mine, so I can never let this woman live.

“Although I can’t let her live, I can’t say it myself. Now it’s good because there is this consort who has ‘anger’. No matter what happens, I can make her my scapegoat. I can completely take her as my tool. Since she could even show up in front of others calmly today, I know she is not easy to deal with.

“That’s just what I want. Let the favored concubine confront Ning Xueyan. I’ll only need to add fuel to the flame on the side.”

The two entered the mansion with their own minds, but Ao Chenyi did not leave. Instead, he stayed at the mansion gate, with his hands clasped behind his back, waiting there coldly. He looked calm and had luxuries in his elegance, but the look in his eyes was a little cold.

The two, who did not expect that he had not left, had to take one step forward to respectively salute him and say “prince”.

Ao Chenyi’s narrowed eyes fell on Commandery Princess Xianyun’s face, making her heart shudder involuntarily. Instantly, she remembered the words of this morning and bowed her head hurriedly.

“You may stop caring about the affairs of the Fragrance Garden.” Ao Chenyi lowered his eyes coldly and looked at Commandery Princess Xianyun, but the corners of his eyes were raised slightly.

Commandery Princess Xianyun only felt that she had anger in her chest, which she wanted to let out but could not. “I am the princess of the prince’s mansion, but on the first night of my wedding, I could only watch a concubine blatantly challenge my authority and take Ao Chenyi away, leaving me, such a princess, to stay alone in the wedding chamber.

“This is a living example of slapping me in the face.

“How could a woman from a humble background have a higher position than mine?

“Now Ao Chenyi is even telling me not to care about the affairs of that courtyard.”

“Prince, the Fragrance Garden is part of the inner courtyard of the prince’s mansion, so why don’t you let me manage it? Sister Ning and I have just been married into the prince’s mansion, and we are not clear about so many things in it, but some things can perhaps be related to the Fragrance Garden. If something is related to it, do you want me and Sister Ning to care about it or not, prince?”

Commandery Princess Xianyun raised her head and asked as if she did not care. But she had mentioned Ning Xueyan many times in her words, so it seemed that Ao Chenyi now wanted the two of them to lose face.

“I’ll take care of the affairs of the Fragrance Garden, and just put them into the affairs of the outer courtyard!” Ao Chenyi interrupted her lazily and then turned and left, even without looking at her, showing that he condescended to stay here only for the sake of defending that concubine and deterring Commandery Princess Xianyun.

After thinking this through, Commandery Princess Xianyun shook with anger and suddenly became pale and unhappy, but she did not dare to lose her temper. “The man I’m facing is Prince Yi, who has overwhelming power in the realm. Of course, I was married into Prince Yi’s Manor not only because he is Ao Chenyi. If it was only because he is Ao Chenyi, I would perhaps be willing to marry him, but the Lord Peace’s Manor must have been unwilling.

“Now I have realized my dream, anyway. As a lowly woman, she can’t be successful. As long as I suppress my anger, it’s okay. Besides, there is Fifth Young Lady Ning! Just now I also put her name into my words.

“Because of a woman, Ao Chenyi pays little attention to us. Not only I but also Ning Xueyan, the consort, is ashamed, let alone she was obviously ignored by Ao Chenyi just now. With her disposition, Ning Xueyan doesn’t seem like a person who can suppress her anger completely. Of course, even if she can, there will be times when she can’t.

“I’m not in a hurry! I don’t believe that with my conditions and scheming, I can’t make Prince Yi fall in love with me.”

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“Sister Ning, look, prince, he, alas… it’s the two of us who are not lucky after all…” Commandery Princess Xianyun turned around and smiled quietly at Ning Xueyan, with a sad expression. “Initially, I thought that sister, you were chosen by the prince himself, so he will love and cherish you a bit, but I did not expect you and me to be the same, alas!”

Some quietness appeared and vanished in Ning Xueyan’s eyes. “Since we returned to the mansion, Commandery Princess Xianyun has mentioned me again and again in all her words. This was the case just now, and now it is like this again. At first glance, I know what she has been thinking about. She wants to use me as her tool, but I don’t want to jump into the troubled waters.” Who was that “concubine”? No one knew it better than her.

“Sister Ning, if you meet anything unsatisfactory in the future, let us sisters solve it together, but the prince… Sister Ning, if you don’t mind, go to my place and stay there for a while. Chatting will be good for us, and maybe we can let go of our worries.” Commandery Princess Xianyun invited her with a smile.

Anyone who saw this would know that this princess lived a life of grievances. Thinking about it, they would know it was true. Unexpectedly, her wedding night was destroyed by a concubine. No matter who met this condition, she would feel depressed, and she and Ning Xueyan were now in the same pitiful situation. The arrogant and domineering Prince Yi did not sleep in the courtyard of his princess, and of course, he did not sleep in the courtyard of this consort, either.

And Commandery Princess Xianyun put her in the same position as herself at every moment. Surely, she not only expressed that they were in the same pitiful situation, but also told her that she herself was the princess. Even if she was a little less favored, it was not a big deal in this house, but Ning Xueyan was different because she was only a consort. If she also lost the favor of Prince Yi, it might be a little difficult for her to even do anything in the house.

Therefore, although both of them were ignored by Ao Chenyi, she, the princess, would obviously live a little better than Ning Xueyan, the consort.

“Thank you, princess. I went to bed late last night, and I am still a little sleepy now. I will definitely visit you when I have time next time, princess.” Ning Xueyan had only come to the prince’s mansion and knew nothing about it. Besides, she did not want to stay with Commandery Princess Xianyun and be used as a tool by her.

“Then you may go to rest first, sister. When you are not tired after taking a rest, let’s talk again.” Commandery Princess Xianyun did not expect Ning Xueyan to refuse her so simply and became unhappy, but she did not show it on her face. Instead, she nodded with a smile and spoke with a look of concern.

They would have a lot of time in the future, and this was just the beginning. She did remember these few sisters in the family of Ning Xueyan’s parents. It seemed that none of them behaved themselves, and they did not have good relationships with her, so the fact should be that they could be easily used…

When Ning Xueyan returned to the Pear Flower Garden, Mother Han and her few companions had cleaned up all her things, and those that should be sorted out had been sorted out. The courtyard had been made spotless.

Not many servants had been sent to the Pear Flower Garden, and those who managed the courtyard were still those few first maids who followed Mother Han and Ning Xueyan here when Ning Xueyan got married. Those who had been sent here by Prince Yi’s Manor were maids who only did menial jobs. As for these few maids Ning Xueyan brought from the Lord Protector’s Manor were maids with a “special profound meaning” given by Madam Dowager. They served as the second-class maids and could not enter Ning Xueyan’s room as they pleased.

Therefore, when Mother Han told her about the manpower arrangement, Ning Xueyan was very satisfied. Moreover, this place was far from the courtyard of Commandery Princess Xianyun. For her, this was truly a little more convenient. Since she had just arrived in the prince’s mansion, she could not try to do anything too anxiously. Instead, she had to learn about the situation before doing anything.

Now she was listening to Mother Han and her few companions talking about the affairs of the mansion as she drank the tea made by Qingyu. Mother Han had great achievements today. When they went to the palace before now, Mother Han had already been outside to ask about the situation of the mansion with various excuses. She learned that originally, the housekeeper who managed the inner courtyard of Prince Yi’s Manor was called Mother Ruan. It was said that she was a person released from the palace.

She seemed to have some relations with Ao Chenyi’s mother. Since she was released from the palace, she had been managing the inner courtyard for Ao Chenyi.

Ning Xueyan nodded as she listened. Everyone said that the inner courtyard of Prince Yi’s Manor was in a mess, but the current situation showed that it was not exactly so. Otherwise, how could nothing have had happened when so many beautiful ladies of the palace were sent here? Mother Ruan, who managed the domestic affairs, should be Ao Chenyi’s confidant.

While they were talking, someone outside reported, “Mother Ruan is here.”

Ning Xueyan put down her teacup and said with a smile, “Let her in.”

Qingyu hurriedly went out to invite the guest. After a while, an older female servant, who looked like an older female servant in her 40s or 50s, came in and looked at Ning Xueyan. First, she called her “mistress” cordially, and then she was about to kowtow.

But Ning Xueyan hurriedly reached out her hands and stopped her.

“Don’t stand on ceremony, Mother Ruan. I am a newcomer to the prince’s mansion, and I have no knowledge of so many things. If I did anything wrong, please point it out for me, Mother Ruan. I will correct it.” Ning Xueyan smiled softly and asked Qingyu to bring a brocade-covered stool to Mother Ruan. Since she was the confidant of Ao Chenyi, Ning Xueyan could not aggrieve her, of course.

“Mistress, you are so courteous. My master has told me, your old slave, that no matter what you want to eat or use, just tell me, and I will make your wishes fulfilled. I also beg you not to be so courteous, mistress. From on now, this will be your home. The prince is busy, so sometimes he may not notice what you need. If that happens, please don’t mind.”

Mother Ruan looked at Ning Xueyan with satisfaction. After looking her up and down, she became even happier for her prince. Her prince had shown a very gentle air, though she did not know when he started it. Although the air was very light, she, who watched Ao Chenyi grow up, could see that her prince’s attitude to this consort was different, so she called Ning Xueyan “mistress” as soon as she came to her.

In her heart, Mother Ruan never identified with the princess who had evil intentions.

Initially, she thought that the prince had been taking the past experiences to heart, so he remained unmarried, and Mother Ruan was extremely worried. Eunuch Ling’s hair and hers had almost turned white because of the worry.

Now it was okay. The prince finally thought it through a little bit, and he even reminded her of paying more attention to the Pear Flower Garden and checking what it was lacking in. After thinking about it for a long time, Mother Ruan and Housekeeper Ling finally realized it. Now when she saw Ning Xueyan, how could she not beam with joy?