She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 188 - 187 The Gentleman Thinks Like Me

Chapter 188: Chapter 187 The Gentleman Thinks Like Me

Jinrong waved his hand helplessly after hearing Hu Jing’s words and said, "You haven’t dealt with Ye Xinyan, so you don’t know how difficult she is to control. Her family has its own standing; she will pay attention to others if she wishes, and if she doesn’t, she won’t. If she’s truly pushed into a corner, I have no doubt she could invoke the power of Duke An’s Mansion and create a situation where both sides suffer. Not to mention anything else, if her true identity were exposed, spending her life in the rear court would be the best outcome, yet it would be a pity for all her talents."

Hu Jing remarked, "Those who are talented are usually not easy to manage, and given the environment Miss Ye grew up in, it’s hardly possible for others to order her around easily. With such a nature and abilities, it’s no wonder that the strictures of the rear court cannot hold her and that she has a poor reputation amongst the noble ladies of the capital."

Changing his tone to a more persuasive one, Hu Jing continued, "According to Sixth Master, while Miss Ye might be difficult to manage, her heart is in the right place—she’s generous, open-minded, and doesn’t fuss over money and possessions. That makes things easier. The ones to be wary of are those who, upon gaining a bit of skill, become insatiably greedy, jack up their prices on the spot, and remain unfamiliar no matter how much you feed them. Although Sixth Master isn’t afraid of such people, dealing with those of such nature is also unpleasant. Sixth Master should be more accommodating towards Miss Ye."

Jinrong replied with a wry smile, "It’s not that I can’t put up with her, it’s just that sometimes she gives me a headache. All in all, Ye Xinyan is sensible and knows her limits. Just by seeing how she accepted people like Nanny Liu, albeit reluctantly, and uses them with ease as if they were her own, you can tell she is not a base and vulgar person despite being a woman—she has a broad and open mind."

After a moment of contemplation, Hu Jing said, "Cheese powder should be able to be stored for a long time, but I wonder if cream cheese can withstand long-distance transport?"

With a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, Jinrong said, "You’re thinking the same as I am."

...

When Nanny Liu arrived at the county government office, Jiang Yifan had not returned from his patrol.

Nanny Liu knew the upsetting matters between Ye Xinyan and Jiang Yifan, and she had learned everything about Jiajia and Ye Xinyan from Wan Yan, including the affairs of Jiang Yifan in Qingyuan County. However, those were not things a servant who came halfway into service should concern herself with. She was simply acting on Lady Qi’s orders to deliver two types of pastries to the current local official and her employer.

To carry out her task well, Nanny Liu did not care what kind of mood Cui Cheng—the butler brought by Jiang Yifan from the Jiang Family and a hereditary servant—was in. She sincerely conveyed Lady Qi’s utmost respect for both employers and presented the latest delicious pastries the Qi family had tested, exchanged a few courteous words, and then took her leave.

After boarding the carriage outside the corner gate of the county government office, Nanny Jin wiped the sweat from her forehead, instructed the coachman to set off, just as her own Sixth Master said, it was better to return to the Qi family and report back early.

However, around Shen Hour, Jiang Yifan returned, his body covered in dust, leading his subordinates and attendants. After washing up and changing his clothes, he sat beside his desk and picked up his tea cup.

Cui Cheng hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and bowing to ask, "Someone from the Qi family of Clear Water Village came over and delivered two types of pastries to our mansion. They said it was the latest test product from the Qi family, quite delicious, and sent it as a token of their regards to Sixth Master and you, sir."

Upon hearing ’a token of their regards’, Jiang Yifan stiffened for a moment and then asked, "Who did they send?"

Cui Cheng replied, "It was a middle-aged servant woman. I haven’t seen her before. From her manner, she should be someone from the Sixth Master’s Mansion."

Jiang Yifan brought the tea cup to his lips, took a couple of sips, and then said, "Let the scholars have it. They’re young and like sweet things."

Cui Cheng visibly relaxed, promptly agreed, took two steps back, and turned to leave.

Jiang Yifan put down his teacup and waved to Shi Yu, saying, "Since they are said to be fresh pastries, I suppose they are something unseen before. You go too. I don’t need to be attended to."

Shi Yu glanced at Jiang Yifan’s expression, did not dare insist, and quietly turned to leave.

...

Ye Xinyan sent Nanny Liu to smooth things over with the eastern neighbor, considering everything settled, and she didn’t worry about Jinrong and Jiang Yifan’s attitudes towards the cheese pastries, focusing all her attention on constructing the dairy workshop instead.

Since she had thought about expanding Qi Younian’s Construction Industry into the largest building company in the Great Xia Dynasty, the buildings constructed thereafter could not be as casual as the cattle farm and her own house.

Starting with the dairy workshop, everything would be carried out according to the Construction Regulations of the Great Xia Dynasty’s Ministry of Works. Adopting this approach necessitated someone like Wong Qiao to act step by step following the rules.

Similar to modern engineering, a project’s inception required architectural plans, which the craftsmen of the Construction Industry would then follow for construction. Although ancient construction wasn’t as strict as the modern, the basic requirements were similar, albeit much simplified.

So, three days later, when Zhou Biyao arrived, the scene she saw was Ye Xinyan sitting across the table from Wong Qiao, one holding a slender charcoal stick and the other a pen, sketching on an uncut sheet of large paper while discussing something in a low voice.

Zhou Biyao had been an independent child since she was young, so Madam Liang of Prefecture Governor Zhou’s family did not conceal their aspirations for a position in Prince Yu’s inner court. Instead, she directly told Zhou Biyao about her desire to establish a marital connection with Prince Yu’s Mansion, seeking a pathway for the Zhou family and herself to advance in society.

Had Prince Yu still been residing in the capital, their family, being a fourth-rank Local Official, would not have dared nor had the chance to covet a position as princess consort or Concubine. But now, with the Prince residing in Yuyuan Prefecture, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Zhou family, which they naturally had to grasp to repay the providence granted by the heavens.

For Zhou Biyao, a woman educated in the ways of ancient rear palaces, entering a prince’s mansion with a titled status was an excellent opportunity to change her fate, and she was very willing to contend for it.

Having heard from her brother the outcome of the Attendant’s inquiry into the news of Clear Water Village, Zhou Biyao also carefully considered that the person who took action against Shun Yi was likely someone from Prince Yu’s side.

In fact, the outcome was not surprising; it was just bad luck for their family and for Shun Yi.

What was Prince Yu’s status? Everywhere he went, it was natural for him to be surrounded by protective royal guards. The Prince being in Clear Water Village and someone sneakily inquiring about the village’s matters were bound to alert the guards. The duty of Prince Yu’s guards was to ensure complete security, regardless of the actual motives of the one seeking information.

Of course, as her brother suggested, it was also possible that the person acting was arranged by His Highness Prince Yu to protect Lady Qi. If that were indeed the reason, she had even more reason to see for herself what was so different about Lady Qi that she had caught His Highness Prince Yu’s special attention.

Moreover, she did not believe that merely by the favor of His Highness Prince Yu, a civilian Abandoned Wife could gain admittance into the royal family.

So, ignoring her brother’s advice, three days later, she took a few more servants with her, rode in a carriage to Clear Water Village, and visited the Lady Qi, rumored to be quite untraditional in her conduct.