The Devious First Daughter

Chapter 157. Tit-for-Tat over a packet of poison

How could Princess Yi be here? Didn't Honored Consort Ya say that Prince Yi was rendezvousing with Honored Consort Xia? Her words suggested that they weren't only having an affair, but also plotting to murder the Emperor. So how could Princess Yi be nearby?

Everyone was stupefied. They looked at Honored Consort Ya, then at Ning Xueyan. For a while, no one said anything.

Honored Consort Xia, who had been putting up a struggle, was also dumbfounded. When she came here, Ao Chenyi was the only one she saw. That was why she was able to say such things. How could there be someone hiding behind the rockery?

Honored Consort Ya was also stunned but she quickly recovered her senses and looked Ning Xueyan up and down with a dark expression. She had experienced so much, after all. Besides, Honored Consort Xia was the one who spoke of such private matters here without noticing a second person. Her shock was bigger to find out that there was another person here.

Honored Consort Ya had always maintained her first impression of Princess Yi. The latter was delicate and weak, seemingly sweet and even-tempered, but of not much use. She was the type of person that Honored Consort Ya disliked the most. She wanted her son to marry a wife that could help him. That was why she eventually convinced her son to forget about marrying such a useless woman.

She was later proven to have a keen eye. Fifth Young Lady Ning was indeed a useless person; she even fainted twice on her wedding day. What a joke! She got her current position as Princess Yi by a dumb stroke of luck. She was just very lucky.

Still, luck wasn't something that could be controlled. Thus, to Honored Consort Ya, Ning Xueyan was still an insignificant person.

Today, however, she felt that she had made a serious error in judgment. The newly appointed Princess Yi was able to step forward and question her so sharply in front of all the high-status married women. She didn't look fearful in the slightest. Her eyes were calm as she maintained a neither servile nor overbearing attitude.

A woman who could step forward and speak up bravely in such a situation was no ordinary woman. There was no way that she had just depended on "luck". Perhaps, everyone had underestimated the pitiful-looking Princess Yi.

"So, Prince and Princess Yi have come here together. Princess Yi is here while Prince Yi is meeting with Honored Consort Xia and giving her things!"

Honored Consort Ya's expression darkened as she spoke to Ning Xueyan in a sharp voice, easily concealing the fact that she had accused Prince Yi and Honored Consort Xia of having an affair. She led everyone to speculate that Prince Yi was colluding with Honored Consort Xia to murder the Emperor. Of course, she would say that Princess Yi was here to be on the lookout. In other words, Princess Yi was also a co-conspirator.

Naturally, a man wouldn't take his wife along when rendezvousing with his lover. But what if he was plotting a rebellion instead? It was only fair for a woman to go along with her husband's plan. It was reasonable to say that Princess Yi was on the lookout for her husband's sake. This could also explain why Princess Yi was hiding behind the rockery.

Ning Xueyan raised an eyebrow at the gloomy-faced Honored Consort Ya, who was refusing to let go of Ao Chenyi. She turned around to look at Ao Chenyi, who was still sitting inside the pavilion. He had been leaning against the railing languidly ever since she showed up, his thin lips curved into a sinister smile, but saying nothing. He was leaving the matter here entirely up to her.

Indeed, it was much easier for her to speak up in front of so many women. Besides, knowing his temper, he wasn't one to waste time explaining to these women why he was here with Honored Consort Xia. The Emperor must have sent Honored Consort Ya here to accuse him because he knew that he wouldn't bother to explain.