She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 202 - 201 The Title of the Duke’s Mansion

Chapter 202: Chapter 201 The Title of the Duke’s Mansion

Ye Hongyang was inexperienced with such acts as having tea thrown at him, and failed to dodge in time, his clothes drenched on one side, with a few damp tea leaves still clinging to his stained lapel.

"How could this be blamed on me and Maternal Aunt Liu? It’s Madam Yin and the wretched child she bore who can’t show their faces in public." Ye Hongyang hastily shook his clothes, grumbling with indignation.

Duke An’s finger jabbed fiercely at Ye Hongyang, "You, the heir of Duke An, put all your heart into a concubine, how could you blame..." Sigh, never mind, although there are many reasons, the fact that Madam Yin has been disappointing remains true.

It’s both his wife and he who spoiled that wretched son. Duke An pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "It’s impossible to make sense to such a fool like you. But I’m telling you now, from now on, no matter the reason, the moment your Maternal Aunt Liu appears at any formal event in the mansion, I’ll immediately find someone to sell her off."

Ye Hongyang’s eyes immediately went wide with disbelief, "Father, how can that be? Maternal Aunt Liu has borne children for the Duke’s Mansion. In the future, when the child inheriting the title of Duke An is questioned about his mother’s status, our entire mansion will be disgraced."

Duke An stared at Ye Hongyang inscrutably, making Ye Hongyang squirm in discomfort before slowly saying, "Over these past months, I’ve taken a good look, and those two illegitimate sons of yours are quite unremarkable, merely above average. Illegitimate sons, not outstanding... Hmph, the Ye Family has several outstanding descendants, there’s no need to degrade to the point of handing over the Duke’s Mansion to one with such ordinary talents."

"Father..." Ye Hongyang’s complexion drastically changed, "Hengheng and Yiyi are my flesh and blood, your own grandsons. How can you hand over the title to another?"

Duke An gazed despondently at his only son and said, "Your two illegitimate sons, having interacted with the prominent children of the capital for so many years as illegitimate children, have no other qualities besides their humble and deferential demeanor. From this perspective, they’re not as good as that cursed daughter of yours, at least she still has the spirit and arrogance that comes with being born of noble and prestigious lineage."

"And Maternal Aunt Liu and Xinyi seem virtuous and understand the big picture in daily life. But at last year’s birthday feast, they disregarded the reputation of the Duke’s Mansion for their own selfish interests, making a scandal known throughout the city. Lord Ji does not know the inside story of that incident; if he does, I fear he would regret marrying a woman like Xinyi into his household."

Ye Hongyang first stared at Duke An in shock, surprised at how his father could know the truth of the matter. Then he became defiant, his expression fluctuating, but eventually, he continued to argue, "The disgrace of Ye Xinyan was the result of her own trapped scheme being exposed. How can you blame others?"

Duke An couldn’t help but laugh as he said, "Your Maternal Aunt Liu is so shrewd, she could have detected Xinyan’s set-up in advance. So, why didn’t she make things clear to you and your mother? Even if she wanted to trample Xinyan underfoot, she could have led you and your mother to the occasion. Given your unchanging devotion to her over the years, wouldn’t you stand up for her? But she didn’t!"

As Duke An spoke, he waved his hand dispiritedly, "Enough, let’s not blame you for everything, let’s leave it at that. You may go now."

Ye Hongyang recalled that deed of land, scratching his mind feverishly. The deed to Qingyuan County; wasn’t it in Qingyuan County where Madam Yin’s wretched child lived? Could it be that the cursed child had actually found someone to deliver something, hoping to return to the mansion?

Thinking of the now placid Madam Yin and the content Maternal Aunt Liu, he had only just begun to enjoy some pleasant and happy days. And now with his father’s current attitude, if Ye Xinyan, that cursed child, truly returned? That would be unacceptable!

"Father, how are you handling Qingyuan County’s affairs? We shouldn’t delay any longer. If people in the capital were to learn that the cursed child is not really dead, and that Duke An’s Mansion couldn’t even keep its daughter from running off, the disgrace would be even greater."

Duke An looked at Ye Hongyang with disappointment, "Hongyang, she is after all your daughter, your only legitimate child. Even if it’s absolutely necessary to take extreme measures, do you need to be so anxious about it?"

"I," Ye Hongyang opened his mouth but defended, "Father, I am also thinking about the prestige of our Duke An’s Mansion."

Duke An looked at him and said, "Didn’t you ask who the person who just came was? That was someone sent by Prince Yu, bringing a gift of local products from Qingyuan County."

"His Highness Prince Yu?" Ye Hongyang was puzzled. Their family had never really interacted with the princes, and since Prince Yu wasn’t focused on governmental affairs, there was even less association with them. What was the situation now?

"That Qi Ye, as of now, is managing some of Prince Yu’s properties in Qingyuan County. Now, Qi Ye is a person from Prince Yu’s Mansion," Duke An glanced coldly at Ye Hongyang and continued, "What do you intend? You want to dispose of a person under the watch of His Highness Prince Yu?"

After receiving the news that Ye Xinyan had appeared in Yuyuan Prefecture, his son, anxious and impatient, suggested a plan, for the sake of the honour and reputation of Duke An’s Mansion, to deal with the Qi family woman and Nanny Jin before the news spread.

If it hadn’t been for the involvement of Prince Yu’s Mansion, although the idea his muddleheaded son came up with wasn’t too bad, now it was different. Now that Prince Yu had properties there, the forces watching over that place were not limited to Prince Yu alone. The Seventh Prince, who sent the message, probably also took notice of Xinyan while keeping an eye on Prince Yu.

The involvement of capital’s forces in the small Qingyuan Village County meant the Duke’s Mansion could no longer act recklessly.

Duke An sneered, the Seventh Prince was too impatient for that position, thus rashly wishing to use Duke An’s Mansion as a pawn to test the Sixth Prince Jinrong’s reaction.

But what exactly happened in Qingyuan County and Prince Yu’s Mansion that attracted the Crown Prince and princes’ interest? Duke An thought to himself that he must send someone to investigate; it would not do to get caught up in the struggle for the position of Crown Prince.

Ye Hongyang’s eyes were somewhat fixed as he said, "Father, it’s impossible, that disappointing Xinyan, where would she get the ability to manage properties. No, it can’t be."

Duke An waved his hand, "Enough, that’s not for you to know. Just remember not to disclose anything about Qi Ye from Clear Water County."

"Father, if you worry about blood ties and cannot bear to act against her, why not secretly change her name and then send her into the ancestral temple. We cannot allow her to roam freely among the common folk; once the news leaks, it will be yet another scandal for our Duke’s Mansion," Ye Hongyang said with all the earnestness he could muster.

Duke An smiled enigmatically and slowly said, "Then let people know that Qi Ye is really just a village woman who bears a resemblance to the legitimate granddaughter of the Duke’s Mansion."

Duke An turned and ordered Lian Gui, who had been standing by the door, "Find the steward and tell him to select two trustworthy old woman servants and daughters-in-law, ready to be sent to that woman in Qingyuan County. You also get ready, choose two people, and personally make a trip to Yuyuan Prefecture. I will explain the rest to you before you leave."