She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 224 - 223: Despising Her Shabby Clothes

Chapter 224: Chapter 223: Despising Her Shabby Clothes

The servants of Anshun’s Household immediately recalled the scene where Miss Ye threw things around and punished the servants at Duke An’s Mansion. She glanced at Nanny Jin, wondering if Miss Ye’s temper would subside without the restraint of the Duke and Duchess.

Nanny Jin wasn’t afraid of Ye Xinyan erupting in any emotion, but she sighed, "It seems my words just now were in vain. I’ll accompany you to the county government office tomorrow. There has to be someone to look after you, right? Even if Lord Jiang is willing to accommodate you for the sake of Sixth Master and Duke’s Mansion, it’s not good if he holds a grudge against you in his heart."

To the surprise of Anshun’s servants, Ye Xinyan did not get angry or lose her temper, but simply waved her hand weakly, "Fine, let’s go. Whatever you say, you won’t be at ease otherwise." Phew, at least Nanny Jin isn’t nagging anymore.

Nanny Liu stepped forward to smooth things over, "Alright, let’s eat first. The old master has had a tiring day and is still waiting in the tent. If we eat early, we can rest early. I’ll go call over the two masters and Third Master Wong for dinner."

During dinner, Qi Younian gave Ye Xinyan yet another reminder. He wasn’t worried about her speaking out of line. After so many events, the old master still trusted his Ye Zi’s behavior. So, the reminder was just that, if Lord Jiang really asks about agricultural matters, and you, Ye Zi, haven’t done farm work and know something, then say what you know. If you don’t know, don’t force it. We aren’t immortals; after all, there are things we don’t know how to do.

Qi Younian’s words left Nanny Liu and the servants of Anshun’s Household each with their own thoughts. The old master was worried about his granddaughter being wronged? With the granddaughter he recognized, being able to speak calmly and not show a bad face was already good enough, yet he was still worried about her being wronged?

So, the next day, amid Nanny Jin’s many regrets and complaints, Ye Xinyan, together with Bi Ning and the three nannies from their households, set off in a carriage for Qingyuan County government office.

Last night, Nanny Jin had searched through the wardrobe and still couldn’t find a decent outfit, finally settling on a barely new set of fine cloth dresses, a lotus root-colored jacket for the upper body, matched with a deep honey-colored narrow skirt. The only decoration was the same-colored bamboo leaf pattern embroidered on the jacket’s lapels. What frustrated Nanny Jin most was that Ye Zi did not have a single piece of jewelry, not even a simple hairpin or a pair of earrings.

These two barely new dresses were what Ye Zi had obtained back when she was running a snack bar to avoid looking too shabby to the customers.

All the way, Nanny Jin regretted not having provided some new clothes and jewelry for her young miss, such that when going out to meet guests, there wasn’t a single decent garment or jewel to be worn, which was quite disheartening.

Ye Xinyan had started trying to persuade her yesterday, to no avail, and thus gave up speaking further, leaving Nanny Jin to grumble all the way. It was only when they arrived at the side gate of the county office and were about to get off the carriage that Ye Xinyan took a long breath out, "Nanny, haven’t you noticed? You’re becoming more and more nagging, with a tendency to become a chatterbox. If I keep listening to you for another couple of years, I’m afraid my ears will indeed develop calluses."

In a low murmur, Nanny Jin grumbled, "If only you would listen to a word or two of what this servant says, I wouldn’t need to worry so much." Although Miss Ye was more sensible now, she still caused people endless worry.

At the entrance of the government office, the footmen of Jiang Yifan were already waiting. As soon as they saw the Qi family’s carriage, they immediately approached, "Lady Qi has arrived. Greetings to Lady Qi and the nannies. Please come inside. My master said that there’s no need for notification when Lady Qi arrives; just come in. I’ll show you the way."

The footman led them along a small path by the side, all the way to the rear courtyard of the Yamen where they saw Shi Shu already waiting.

Upon seeing Ye Xinyan and her party, Shi Shu quickly stepped forward a few paces to greet them, then politely bowed to Nanny Jin, Nanny Liu, and the others, "Greetings to the nannies. My master and Sixth Master Rong are inside, waiting for Lady Qi. Our master has a lot to discuss with Lady Qi, so I’m afraid you may have to wait for a while. My master has arranged a side room for you to rest in; I’ll show you there."

Nanny Liu glanced at Hong Wu who was also quietly waiting outside the hall, and then she thought about the serious wording of that summons, guessing that the matter that His Highness Prince Yu and Lord Jiang had to discuss was probably very important. Therefore, she fully approved of Shi Shu’s arrangements and immediately turned around, just waiting for Shi Shu to lead the way.

However, Nanny Jin and those from Anshun’s household were a bit hesitant. Although Miss Ye had fallen on hard times since leaving home, she was still a woman after all. Especially for Nanny Jin, since Ye Zi had left the capital, although there were no strict rules to follow, she had never seen a man alone outside of her line of sight.

Nanny Jin was still hesitating, but Ye Xinyan was already pondering what important matter this consultation could be about that even Nanny Jin wasn’t allowed to know, and even Nanny Liu had to avoid it.

"Nanny, go ahead, this is the county government office, and with Sixth Master and Lord Jiang both present, it can’t get any safer, you don’t need to worry," Ye Xinyan said to Nanny Jin. Now that they were already here, they had to listen to what the others had to say; there was no reason to return to the mansion just because of Nanny Jin’s unfounded worries.

Nanny Jin hesitated, wondering whether or not to negotiate with His Highness Prince Yu to let her watch Miss Ye from a distance. Her Miss Ye was already tugging at her sleeve, whispering softly, "Nanny, don’t be like this, it’s as if Sixth Master and Lord Jiang are lawless villains. Both of them are still Ye Zi’s employers, you know."

When Nanny Jin heard the words "lawless villains," she felt a chill for a moment, but she also thought that His Highness Prince Yu and Lord Jiang, who were usually such modest gentlemen, were acting out of character now.

Thus, the four servants who had accompanied Ye Xinyan were of no use and were taken by Shi Shu to a side chamber to have tea, while Ye Xinyan followed Hongzhi into the reception hall in the rear courtyard.

Although Nanny Jin had dressed Ye Xinyan with great care, the effect was rather ordinary. Jinrong and Jiang Yifan, when dealing with her in the past, only cared to guess about this woman’s mindset and intellect, and had not paid much attention to her attire.

Now, noticing that Ye Xinyan’s dress and adornment were clearly different from before, they focused their gaze on her clothes and appearance.

"Miss Ye’s attire... she’s treating herself too harshly. Is the Qi family still facing such difficulties?" Jinrong felt somewhat uncomfortable looking at her.

Jiang Yifan, looking at Ye Xinyan in her modest dress against the backdrop of the official furnishings of the county government office’s reception hall, felt for the first time that this woman was different from her former self.

She really seemed to be a smart woman from the countryside of Qingyuan County, didn’t she? Not as dazzling and aggressive as those adorned with pearls and fine silk. Jiang Yifan lowered his eyes to the teacup in his hands.

As soon as Ye Xinyan walked in, she saw Jinrong and Jiang Yifan sitting beside a small table in the reception hall. She walked toward them, facing a different kind of gaze from them than before, and felt astonished. What was with their looks?

She self-consciously lowered her head to check her own very neat dress and was tempted to touch her hairdo and cheeks when she suddenly remembered—if there were any stains on her clothes or face, the nannies and Bi Ning would definitely have reminded her. So, the problem wasn’t with her.

She gave them a displeased glance and greeted them with a slight bow. They must be displeased to see her dressed so modestly at an official event in the government office, right?