Chapter 5: A Strange Fragrance

Ning Xueyan stood up unsteadily, holding onto Mother Han's hand, and said, "Grandma , please spare Mother Yun. Maybe we were too impulsive." All the madams were stunned by Ning Xueyan's unexpected pleading for Mother Yun. Ning Xueyan was still young, but she behaved elegantly. They had not known there was such a girl in the Lord Protector's Manor; they had only heard how gentle and elegant the First Young Lady was. Looking at the gentle and graceful Ning Xueyan, Madam Dowager Liu felt happy and spoke with a soft smile on her face. "Xueyan, why did you plead for her? She hurt you and doesn't respect you. She's an evil servant." "Grandmother, I agree she has to be punished for hurting me, but I think today is important, and it's not suitable to kill her. She has been working in the Lord Protector's Manor for many years. How about asking her to go to the backyard? It seems like suitable punishment for her negligence as a servant." Ning Xueyan smiled, but everyone could see that she was in pain. A murmuring in the crowd surrounding them indicated people were confused by Ning Xueyan’s response. It was clear Madam Dowager Liu also did not understand, as she asked in puzzlement, "What is she going to do in the backyard?" Realizing that Ning Xueyan wanted her to keep vigil at the funeral, Mother Yun shouted in horror. She pushed away the women holding her and cried out, "No! No! I don't want to keep vigil for Madam Ming! First Madam, I won't go! I won't go! The funeral... Madam Ming...” After Mother Yun’s outburst, the madams changed their expressions. Ning Xueyan was waiting for this, and she looked down to hide her pleased expression. The death of Madam Ming was strange. When the original Ning Xueyan was at the funeral, she had smelled something sweet. After checking the whole building, she found that the fragrance came from the coffin! The source of this fragrance was a kind of poisonous food . Long-term consumption of it would lead to dizziness and illness, and the fragrance would stay in the body. The slight, sweet fragrance must have had something to do with Madam Ling. Ning Xueyan's mother, Madam Ming, had taught her various methods for making incense, and she knew that that certain varieties of incense could be harmful . Mother Yun was Madam Ling's trusted personal servant, so she knew the truth about Madam Ming's death and was afraid of keeping vigil amidst the poisonous incense. Madam Ling rushed over and slapped Mother Yun before she could finish. "You damn servant, what are you talking about?" But it was too late – everyone in the backyard had heard Mother Yun's words. The Second Madam had died in the backyard, but they held a wedding banquet in the front. How could the Lord Protector's Manor do such a disrespectable thing! "Damn servant, what are you talking about? Come on, shut her up and take her away. Beat her to death directly!" Madam Ling shouted at the two female middle-aged servants in a panic, disregarding the fact that she had just been pleading for Mother Yun’s life. On hearing Madam Ling's vicious response, Mother Yun cried out, "Beat me to death? Madam, I have..." But before she finished her words, she was stopped and held back. At this point, Madam Dowager glared at Madam Ling, trembling with anger. This matter not only brought shame on the Lord Protector's Manor, but also would affect her son's prestige. Faced with the gaze of the madams, she fainted from shame. The situation descended into chaos. The doctor who had been called to treat Ning Xueyan’s hand arrived and was asked to assist Madam Dowager first. Everyone knew that the Lord Protector's Manor had done something dishonorable. Originally, when some of the madams heard that there were other daughters in the Lord Protector's Manor, they wanted the opportunity to take a look at them; now, none of them wanted to. It was said that the First Young Lady of the Lord Protector's Manor was elegant and gentle. But in order to get married, she’d hid the death of her elder, which showed an extreme lack of propriety! According to Madam Ling's guilty look, it was obvious that she already had known. She treated Ning Xueyan badly, allowed her servants to bully a mistress, and hid the death of Madam Ming, so it made sense that a daughter taught by such a mother was no good, either. Madam Dowager Liu stared icily at Madam Ling. She knew someone needed to take charge. "Don't kill her yet. Take her away, and we'll deal with her later." Ning Zu'an, the Lord Protector, had great respect for his aunt, and her order was obeyed, even though she did not normally take charge. The two women holding Mother Yun took her away to stop her from saying anything more. "Young Lady, are you all right?" Ning Xueyan’s maid, Qingyu, ran over to support her. She had been assigned by Madam Ling to help in the wedding ceremony and couldn’t leave, but had slipped away when the chaos began. Ning Xueyan leaned against Qingyu and whispered. "Go and see where Mother Yun will be locked up."