She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 206 - 205 There are indeed many things

Chapter 206: Chapter 205 There are indeed many things

Nanny Liu quickly glanced at Ye Xinyan before shifting her gaze away. It seemed that Miss Ye wanted to inquire about her mother, the wife of the heir apparent, and to know how the wife of the heir apparent was faring now.

Those from Anshun’s Household also picked up on Ye Xinyan’s implication, and they were surprised. Deprived of the protection of Duke’s Mansion, the young lady indeed had to be more calculating, turning an indelicate question into such a subtle one.

"Lady Qi might not be aware," she said with a forced smile, "it’s not that we avoid mentioning the wife of the heir apparent, but since the young lady left, the wife of the heir apparent has devoted herself solely to praying for the young lady’s wellbeing, caring little for anything else and paying no more attention to domestic or external family matters. Thus, the wife of the heir apparent is as tranquil as still water, and it is inappropriate for us servants to bring her up unnecessarily." Anshun’s Household tactfully did not mention the Crown Prince.

Ye Xinyan frowned slightly. Did this mean that Madam Yin, having lost her daughter, was disheartened? How could one endure a life filled with such disheartenment?

"What does Nanny Qiao mean by ’caring little for anything else’? Has the wife of the heir apparent become so despondent that she cannot even manage the household?"

Nanny Liu felt somewhat uneasy. In the current situation, Miss Ye was the rural woman, Lady Qi, and as an outsider, Lady Qi should not be overly concerned with the affairs of Duke’s Mansion. Miss Ye’s question was a bit excessive.

Anshun’s Household glanced at the people in the room. Nanny Liu belonged to Prince Yu’s Mansion, and it would be prudent to avoid discussing the domestic affairs of Duke’s Mansion in the presence of outsiders. Moreover, they weren’t sure whether they should inform the young lady about the wife of the heir apparent’s matters.

Ye Xinyan was growing impatient. She said coolly, "I just heard Steward Lian say that he wants to leave Nanny Qiao in this poor and humble place in the countryside. I wonder if it will be possible to keep her here?"

Upon hearing this, an individual from Anshun’s Household quickly knelt and said, "It’s not like what Lady Qi imagines. The wife of the heir apparent only desires peace of mind and doesn’t want to be troubled with managing household matters, which is why she has stepped back from her domestic responsibilities."

It seemed that even though the young lady had changed her ways, her transformation was limited. Just listen to her recent comment. If they didn’t respond earnestly, provoking the volatile temper of this esteemed ancestor, she might insist on their departure regardless of anything else, turning this mission into a failure. By then, hiding any identity would be utterly superfluous, as it would all become public knowledge.

"Why?" Ye Xinyan asked in surprise. Madam Yin had always held onto the authority of managing the household tightly, reluctant to let go. Why would she voluntarily give it up?

Anshun’s Household wore a distressed expression, and looked again at Nanny Liu, who showed no intention of leaving. Since the young lady had no intention of asking anyone to leave either, they had no choice but to pluck up the courage and say, "I heard from others that the wife of the heir apparent feels that even if she manages the Duke’s Mansion diligently, it would only serve to benefit others in the end. With her lofty status and abundant dowry, she realizes that by not managing household duties, she would suffer less and enjoy a more carefree and comfortable life."

Ye Xinyan’s heart settled down at this. If Madam Yin had realized this earlier, she wouldn’t have made both her own and her daughter’s lives so miserably unbearable as they were now. Yes, this was good. Miss Ye, you should be reassured. When it’s convenient, I’ll find a trustworthy person to convey a message to Madam Yin, and a little more encouragement would make it even more perfect.

Having learned what she wanted to know, Ye Xinyan rose from her chair and, quite rudely, shook her sleeves, saying to Nanny Liu and Lian Gui, "I have many things to attend to. Discuss and handle the remaining matters among yourselves and arrange them on your own."

After saying that, she simply walked away, leaving Lian Gui and those from Anshun’s Household to rise in a hurry and stare at each other, bewildered and unsure about the young lady’s intentions.

Nanny Liu, having followed Ye Xinyan for a while, was not surprised by Ye Xinyan’s way of dealing with the situation. Whether the people from Duke An’s Mansion stayed or left was not for her to decide. Since she couldn’t resist, she might as well leave the decision to Prince Yu’s Mansion and Duke An’s Mansion to negotiate. The young lady no longer cared to be involved.

Nanny Liu unhesitatingly took over the mess that Ye Xinyan tossed to her and said with a smile to Lian Gui and the others, "If you have anything to say, just speak up; we can discuss and handle it together."

Lian Gui and someone from Anshun’s Household exchanged a glance. What did the Young Lady mean by this? Did she place extreme trust in the people of Prince Yu’s Mansion? Or was it that she was helpless and could only follow the arrangements of the people in the mansion?

As Ye Xinyan rose to her feet, Lian Gui had already stood up, shocked and respectfully seeing her off. Hearing Nanny Liu speak, he quickly turned back and bowed, asking, "May I know what Lady Qi means by this?"

Nanny Liu smiled and returned the courtesy, "It means nothing special; the Young Lady has indeed many matters in her hands. The Young Lady is straightforward and sincere. Should there be any hospitality shortcomings, I hope you two will be understanding and forgive her."

Someone from Anshun’s Household hastily said, "We dare not, we dare not. When we came here, we regarded Lady Qi as our master to serve. How can servants blame the master’s house? Wouldn’t that go against the king’s law?"

"Please take a seat, let’s sit down first and discuss the matter at hand slowly." With Lady Qi gone, Nanny Liu and Lian Gui could retake their seats and officially discuss the matters.

Lian Gui detailed the reason why the Duchess had sent them here, naturally speaking of the official reason - the Duchess’s way of entrusting her sorrow for her granddaughter’s passing.

In the end, someone from Anshun’s Household asked Nanny Liu, "We’ve heard that people from Prince Yu’s Mansion are assisting Lady Qi with her affairs. Is Nanny Liu someone sent by Prince Yu’s Mansion to help with these matters?"

"Dare not, dare not claim to be assisting. Lady Qi is quick-witted and her work is not something ordinary people can compare with. Us servants really can’t get involved," Nanny Liu quickly said.

So they were indeed people from the mansion. Although they had suspected it before, it was different to have it confirmed. Lian Gui and another person paid their respects to Nanny Liu once again.

After exchanging courtesies, someone from Anshun’s Household said, "Nanny, please understand the difficulties we face as servants. On the way to Clear Water Village, Lord Jiang’s clerk had already briefed us on the Qi family’s situation. Although the residence of the Qi family is cramped, we’ve received orders from the master’s house; naturally, we cannot abandon Lady Qi and return to the capital alone."

Attempting to probe, Lian Gui suggested, "How about we find craftsmen to set up a tent to settle Nanny Qiao and the others first? As for accommodation, we’ll furnish it ourselves later on. I see the Qi family is building a house; a couple of additional rows of side rooms and a covered backhouse would be enough to accommodate more servants. What do you think, Nanny, is that appropriate?"

Nanny Liu knew that the task from Duke An’s Mansion must be accomplished but did not want to agree on behalf of Ye Xinyan so soon, "The two of you also know that we are sent by Prince Yu’s Mansion to serve Lady Qi. For such matters, it’s better to listen to Lady Qi and Old Master Qi’s wishes."

Lian Gui smiled and said, "Nanny, consider this: our at-any-rate similar-looking Lady Qi and our mansion’s Nanny Jin are staying in Yuyuan Prefecture. This matter is rather difficult to explain. Having people from Duke An’s Mansion stay by Lady Qi’s side and acknowledging her identity is beneficial for the Qi family."

Nanny Liu also smiled, Lian Gui’s words held not only a determination to act but also an undertone of coercion. In all seriousness, the Ducal Mansion is Lady Qi’s true home. If it weren’t for Duke An’s Mansion having declared the legitimate granddaughter deceased, given the complicated situation around Lady Qi now, the Ducal Mansion would hold absolute power over her life and death.