She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 222 - 221: Posting a Notice

Chapter 222: Chapter 221: Posting a Notice

Jinrong also knew the severity of the issue but, sighing helplessly, he said, "Qi Ye’s matter... Ah, was done a bit too early. If it had been delayed by a few years, until the power dynamics in the Imperial Court were clearer, then carrying it out would be extremely useful. Now, our people are prematurely placed at the forefront of controversy, there are too many variables, and acting too soon isn’t good."

Jiang Yifan, who had also held a post and gained insight within the power nucleus of the capital, knew the intricate relationships within the Imperial Court could easily doom a seemingly straightforward and beneficial matter or implicate an official with bright prospects because of it.

However, since things had already come to this, there probably wasn’t another solution, at least not one that would prevent other powers from exploiting the situation.

"If the Qi family immediately dismantled the railway tracks at the construction site and delayed this matter for a few years, would that be feasible?"

Jinrong immediately responded, "Impossible. Even if you want to delay it, you must be able to actually do so. There are many people working for the Qi Family Construction Business, most of them skilled craftsmen in construction. Any one of them, just by mentioning a few words to their peers, would reveal the crux of the matter. With such a useful tool available, there would be many rushing to use it. Are we supposed to silence them all just to delay this matter for a few years?"

Hu Jing smiled and said, "Massive railway construction isn’t that simple; it’s a matter that consumes silver. Regardless of whether His Majesty wants to do it, when it’s discussed at court, the various powers will tug at each other. By the time its feasibility is affirmed, it will have taken quite some time, not something that can be determined in less than three or five months. Even if it can be used, until the court allocates the silver for it, who knows when that will happen.

Sixth Master just needs to decide who to credit with the proposal, to whom the merit should be given. After the Pre-Qin Dynasty, whether scholars or officials, they all saw classical learning as the right path and would not value these practical things. Therefore, in the short term, this major accomplishment won’t be noticeable."

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Yifan asked, "If Sixth Master is to turn this matter into a formal report for the court, should we give the Qi family a heads-up?"

Jinrong was silent for a good while. Again, he had to use something from Ye Xinyan’s hands, and this one wasn’t like the others; as Master Hu mentioned, it was a significant achievement. But considering Ye Xinyan’s background and her status as a woman, this merit couldn’t be credited to her. It couldn’t even be mentioned in association with the Qi family, for if anyone with intentions set their sights on the Qi family, it would be harmful and not beneficial to anyone.

Under Jiang Yifan’s gaze, Jinrong finally spoke, altering his approach, "We definitely need to mention it. Informing Qi Ye of the idea to propose the use of railways to the court, I was also thinking, Qi Ye’s ideas and perspectives on matters are always different from those of others. If we let Qi Ye draft a railway implementation charter and compare it to what our people have produced, who knows, it might have surprising effects."

Seeking Ye Xinyan again? Jiang Yifan pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on.

In the conversation, Hu Jing shook his head with a smile, "I’m afraid Sixth Master thinks too simply. From my observations, Lady Qi handles matters very calculatingly. For instance, when she helped Sixth Master with the cattle farm, it included her own needs concerning the snack bar and dairy products, and naturally, the cattle farm would require a charter. Lady Qi was leading the cattle farm’s Steward, so drafting a charter fell within a reasonable range.

This time is different, though. Constructing a railway transport for the court has nothing to do with Lady Qi, and it’s much more complex. Lady Qi probably won’t agree to draft a charter for Sixth Master."

Jinrong thought it over, not necessarily. He had also asked Qi Younian to design the garden. If Ye Xinyan truly wanted the Qi family to rise through construction, then designing a garden for the Duke’s Mansion would be the first step for the Qi Family Construction Business.

The initial height of this first step directly related to the level of the Qi Family Construction Business, and whether they could secure a garden project from the Duke’s Mansion was crucial for them. Ye Xinyan wouldn’t be unaware of the importance of this matter, and even if she wasn’t, he could remind her a bit.

Moreover, when it comes to doing work for silver, as long as the silver is provided in sufficient amounts, I believe that given Ye Xinyan’s fondness for wealth, she should be able to agree.

"Why don’t we negotiate with Qi Ye? We could pay her for her services. Let’s ask her how much silver would make her willing to take on the task."

After hesitating for quite a while, Jiang Yifan finally couldn’t help himself and spoke up, "Originally, Qi Ye had nothing to do with the Sixth Master. Can’t the Sixth Master only use her to manage the business, and not involve her in other matters? If there’s trouble in the future, with the protection of the Duke’s Mansion, she would be able to disentangle herself more easily."

Jinrong fixed his gaze firmly on Jiang Yifan and asked, "Are you in a state of worried confusion, now beginning to worry about Qi Ye’s safety? Or have you begun to waver in your own choices?"

Jiang Yifan was taken aback, then waved his hand and forced a wry smile, "Neither. Never mind, let’s pretend I never said anything. Truly, as long as there is any involvement with that woman, I seem to never catch a break."

"Pfft," Jinrong scoffed, "Can you and I decide whether or not she can extricate herself from the matter? It’s your own state of mind that’s lost, what does it have to do with Qi Ye? You really know how to find excuses for yourself."

Jiang Yifan waved his hand again, feeling helpless, thinking to himself that Jinrong wasn’t wrong; how could one simply declare a disengagement from such matters? Ever since Ye Xinyan started giving Jinrong advice on that cattle farm, she had unknowingly been drawn into the game.

Jinrong patted Jiang Yifan on the shoulder, saying, "Don’t think too much about it. Qi Ye didn’t just get involved now; it’s from the moment she was still Ye Xinyan, when she made a fuss about marrying you, that she had already been tied in an inseparable relationship."

Jinrong stood up and said, "This is a significant matter; it’s not fair to Qi Ye to just casually mention it and be done with it. Tomorrow, you send someone to personally deliver an invitation to Qi Ye, asking her to come to the county town the day after. It’s inconvenient for me to go there, so go to your county government office. Tomorrow, hurry up with your current affairs. The day after tomorrow, the two of us, along with Mr. Hu, will discuss the matter of rail transport with Qi Ye."

The next day, Ye Xinyan received the invitation delivered by Shi Shu. The invitation was of a high standard, with embossed and gilded details, and the content was polite and respectful. It mentioned that the Magistrate Sir, while inspecting Clear Water Village, noticed that the granddaughter of the Qi family, Qi Ye, had unconventional thoughts about agriculture and tools and requested her presence at the county government office the next morning to discuss specifics.

To discuss specifics? Ye Xinyan rolled her eyes and pondered for a while but couldn’t figure out what matter Jinrong and Jiang Yifan would have to discuss with her. Her thoughts were also continuously mocking how their visit to her home had consumed so much of her family’s resources, including the tidying of rooms and courtyards, as well as the wood and labor expended to construct lattice houses. With that time, the workshop could have built a much higher section of the wall and finished the job earlier.

It wasn’t enough to just entertain them; now they’ve thought of something else?

Ye Xinyan carefully recalled the situation at that time; it seemed to be when Jiang Yifan saw the cart and track, there was a moment of contemplation on his face, but nothing else.

The problem is, there was nothing remarkable about the track.