"So what? Can’t I teach a maid a lesson?" Being offended repeatedly by Ning Xueyan, Madam Qian was furious. She pulled back her hand and pounded the table while speaking with great anger.

The maids and older female servants saw she got angry and dared not raise their heads, trembling with fear.

"Take this bitch away and give her a rough beating."

Everyone was shocked by Madam Qian’s words. Was she going to beat Lanning to death?

Seeing Madam Qian’s dominance over Ning Xueyan, Madam Ling showed a faint smile on her face, but still said, "Sister, forget it. Just flog her 50 times, or she’ll die..."

Lanning would certainly be disabled after the flogging.

"No way. She spoke without evidence. If she isn’t punished severely, everybody in Lord Protector’s Manor will do the same as her." Madam Qian insisted on severely punishing Lanning.

Madam Ling was seemingly embarrassed but was happy in her mind. Anyway, she had persuaded Madam Qian. In fact, Madam Qian insisting on punishing Lanning severely was exactly what Madam Ling had wanted. That was because Lanning not only was Ning Xueyan’s maid and helper, but also had been Ning Ziying’s maid. If Lanning was dead, Ning Xueyan would lose one helper and Ning Ziying’s matter would not be known to others.

Several older female servants behind Madam Qian came over to grab Lanning.

Ning Xueyan stood in front of Lanning and stopped those older female servants while coldly saying, "Madam Qian, this is Lord Protector’s Manor, not your Vice Minister of Justice’s Manor. You’d better think it over, or you’ll pay a double penalty."

Having been disdained by Ning Xueyan, Madam Qian was very angry. "How impolite you are! You’re as ill-bred as your natural mother. You, grab that maid. I don’t believe that I can’t punish a maid of Lord Protector’s Manor today."

"Madam Qian, I respect you because you’re the sister-in-law of my Mother, Madam Ling. But how dare you scold the Second Madam of Lord Protector’s Manor! Are you ill-bred too?" Ning Xueyan asked with a serious expression.

Ning Xueyan said that Madam Qian was ill-bred in front of so many servants, which made Madam Qian extremely angry. She could not control her anger anymore and shouted angrily, "How dare you! You’re just an uncultured bitch. Your natural mother was a misbehaving woman and her family is uncultured, so you’re so impolite."

On hearing that, Madam Ling went into a panic and hurried to stop Madam Qian. "Sister!"

Unfortunately, it was too late. Then they heard someone angrily say, "What do you mean that the Ming family had no upbringing? You’re a butcher’s daughter. Are you well-bred?"

This remark was very harsh. They all turned back to see Madam Dowager standing at the door with her maids, looking coldly into the room.

"Grandmother!" Ning Xueyan stepped forward and saluted Madam Dowager.

Madam Qian came to her senses as soon as she encountered Madam Dowager. She wanted to explain, but found that she did not know how to say.

She could only salute her. "Madam Dowager!"

"Madam Qian, I didn’t expect that the Young Lady of Lord Protector’s Manor would need to be taught a lesson by you. It’s my negligence." Madam Dowager, surrounded by the maids and older female servants, came in and sat down in a chair in the middle of the room. Then she coldly spoke to Madam Qian. Today, accidents had happened not only in the place of the menfolk but also in the womenfolk’s, which made Madam Dowager unhappy.

Madam Qian was born into a humble family, which had been exposed by Madam Dowager just now. Now she looked pale and realized that she had gone too far before.

"Mother, it’s the matter of Xueyan and Ling Yi. My sister got angry and spoke without thinking because she suddenly found that Xueyan was with Ling Yi. She doesn’t want to discipline the Young Lady for Lord Protector’s Manor."

Madam Ling spoke up to break the ice. She knew that what Madam Qian said had offended Madam Dowager, so she explained to Madam Dowager, turning aside from the topic under discussion.

She only said that Ning Xueyan was with Ling Yi, as if the two were caught doing something against the rules.

Madam Dowager narrowed her eyes and asked with displeasure, "Since things like that happened, why did you argue over it here instead of figuring it out through investigation?"

"Madam Dowager, we are here to visit my sister-in-law, but now my son has been beaten half-dead. Madam Dowager, you have to give us a satisfying explanation," Madam Qian said with grievance on her face.

"A satisfying explanation?" Madam Dowager frowned.

"Xueyan, look at what you’ve done. I can’t help you now. Bring Childe Ling Yi’s servant over," Madam Ling sincerely said, as if she really was giving thought to Ning Xueyan.

Hearing that, Madam Dowager turned her eyes toward Ning Xueyan, who stood there with a calm look.

The young male servant soon arrived. He kneeled down and kowtowed as soon as he saw the crowd in the hall.

"Why is your Childe here?" Madam Dowager asked coldly.

"Our Childe received an invitation from the Fifth Young Lady, so he came here to wait for her. Unexpectedly, the Fifth Young Lady refuses to admit it now," the young male servant answered while pointing at Ning Xueyan.

"You mean Xueyan asked your Childe to come here?" Madam Ling said, seeming to have realized it suddenly.

"Yes, Childe Ling Yi had an appointment with the Fifth Young Lady here. Otherwise, why would he wait here?" the young male servant answered decisively.

"Mother, what should we do? The... the love between a man and woman is... is inevitable..." Madam Ling sighed and could not go on. She turned to Ning Xueyan and said, "Xueyan, if you really like Yi’er, your father and I will let him marry you. Why did you make so many troubles and ruin your own reputation? Do you think you can still marry him?"

"We won’t accept such a woman. There’s no way for her to marry my son. Even though she agrees to be my son’s concubine, we have to think it over," Madam Ling raised her head and said with a snort, putting on an act.

"Sister, please don’t do that. Anyway, Xueyan has always been a Young Lady of Lord Protector’s Manor. If she can’t marry Yi’er and becomes his cohabiting partner, it will bring shame to Lord Protector’s Manor. For my sake, please accept her and consent to their marriage."

Madam Ling pretended to sigh and persuade Madam Qian, as if she really felt pity for Ning Xueyan and cared about Lord Protector’s Manor.

Madam Qian sneered and said, "She not only misbehaved, but also beat Yi’er. No one will accept such a woman. Don’t persuade me. I won’t consent to her marrying my son."

Madam Qian felt that Lord Protector’s Manor had to beg her to accept Ning Xueyan now, so of course she would not agree casually.

Madam Ling and Madam Qian spoke one after the other and acted really well. Ning Xueyan said with a cold smile on her face while looking at them, "I came here because the Second Sister asked me to come. How did it become a private meeting between me and Childe Ling Yi? If it was really a private meeting, why didn’t I come alone?"

"Moreover..." Ning Xueyan paused for a moment and continued, smiling ironically, "Mother, I have never seen Childe Ling Yi before, this is the first time. How could I have a love affair with him? Or do you think that I had a love affair with him years ago?"

In the past years, Ning Xueyan had stayed in Bright Frost Garden all the time and seldom went out. Her first trip was to Cold Mountain Temple. Besides that, she only showed up at the funeral of Madam Ming while Madam Ling was absent and only sent a housekeeper to come. This really was the first time Ning Xueyan had met Ling Yi.

"Who knows? Maybe you fell in love with Cousin Ling Yi at first sight. What’s more, if you have never seen Cousin Ling Yi before, why does his servant know you? Fifth Sister, did you have a love affair with Cousin Ling Yi in private without mother’s and grandmother’s knowledge?" said another voice, which came from outside.

It was Ning Yuling in gorgeous clothes. She appeared at the door with her maids and disdainfully looked at Ning Xueyan.

Ning Xueyan narrowed her eyes and hid the sneer in them. As Ning Xueyan expected, Ning Yuling could not help coming. Yesterday, she was caught having adultery and became a laughing stock. How dare she show up today!

"Second Sister, are you mad at me because of what happened yesterday? So you want to damage my reputation today?" Ning Xueyan raised her eyebrows and calmly asked.

Ning Yuling could not stand Ning Xueyan’s words anymore. But before she counterattacked, Ning Xueyan added one more sentence, "Or, it was you who invited him. If not, why did you come so fast?"

"I... why would I ask him over?" Ning Yuling felt guilty from Ning Xueyan’s questions. She gritted her teeth and stared at Ning Xueyan angrily.

She originally had come to watch Ning Xueyan be suppressed. But she did not expect that Ning Xueyan had the gift of gab and would shift the blame onto her. How could she not be angry?

"I heard that you are extremely dissatisfied with marrying the Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li. Cousin Ling Yi and you grew up together, so your relationship is naturally different. This should have been... normal... But now you’re engaged!"

Ning Xueyan’s words were as sharp as a knife. She stared at Ning Yuling, who hardly dared to look back. The deep darkness in Ning Xueyan’s eyes seemed to drag Ning Yuling into hell. Ning Yuling was so frightened that she stammered, "I... I... I’d never do such a thing!"

Her original intention was to denounce Ning Xueyan. However, she lost her imposing manner in the face of Ning Xueyan and seemed to be very guilty. Madam Dowager looked at Ning Yuling with suspicion.

"What you’ve done recently is not what the Second Young Lady of Lord Protector’s Manor should do. I didn’t know you felt so lonely..." Ning Xueyan smiled slightly, with an odd expression. Her eyes were full of mockery, which made the arrogant Ning Yuling extremely angry.

"Ning Xueyan, you’re slinging mud at me!" Ning Yuling roared loudly.

"We’ll soon know if I am slinging mud at you!" Ning Xueyan smiled slightly and looked at Ling Yi, who had fallen to the ground. At this time, he leaned weakly in the chair with torn clothes.

A pink envelope peeked out from under his cuff.

"Second Sister, do you dare show us that envelope?" Ning Xueyan raised her eyebrows and asked Ning Yuling while pointing at the exposed envelope.