She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 257 - 256 Who Knows What’s Inside

Chapter 257: Chapter 256 Who Knows What’s Inside

Zhou Bingyi walked out as he said to Jiang Yifan, "It turns out that an expert from among the common folk is not to be underestimated. Who could have imagined that a construction industry from a village like Xiaoxiao could plan such an exquisite courtyard, and still compile a complete set of documentation in accordance with the court’s regulations concerning the construction industry. Truly impressive."

Jiang Yifan glanced sideways in the direction of Ye Xinyan and thought, yes, many things are indeed difficult to explain. Even Jinrong, who had been surprised by Ye Xinyan many times, was still astonished and moved upon seeing the designs handed over by Qi Younian.

Zhou Bingyi then smiled at Qi Younian, who was accompanying him, "If Father-in-law Qi’s construction industry can create courtyards of such quality, its future is promising indeed. I imagine many will seek the Qi family for building courtyards and houses in the days to come. Ah, and this young man here, Wong Qiao, is it? A talent for sure, it’s just a pity he didn’t take the path of the imperial examinations. If he had been sent to school from a young age, his prospects would be boundless."

Qi Younian quickly bowed and said, "Lord Zhou is too kind. Haha, Ah Qiao simply has a knack for construction. We craftsmen merely follow our masters to learn some skills, hoping to improve our lives a bit."

As they reached the entrance of the reception hall, Zhou Bingyi glanced at the position of the sun and chuckled, "I came specifically to discuss with Father-in-law Qi about the incident at the Qi family’s small eatery some days ago, to offer my apologies to Father-in-law Qi and Lady Qi. Yet, here I was, so mesmerized by the design of your courtyard that before I knew it, it’s already nearing midday." While speaking, he shook his head.

Qi Younian quickly bowed again and said, "Lord Zhou’s words are too generous. After all, you are an Imperial Appointed Official, the esteemed Prefectural Magistrate; there is no reason for you to apologize to ordinary folks like us. To say so would overly humble this old man."

Jiang Yifan intervened, "This isn’t the place for a conversation. It would be better if you entered the house and sat down to talk."

Qi Younian added, "That’s right, having arrived at this old man’s home, you haven’t even had a sip of water, barely resting your feet. It’s almost time for the noon meal and we country folk do not have the custom of sending off guests at mealtime. Come what may, you must have a simple meal with us before discussing other matters."

Zhou Bingyi nodded; he had come to present an apology to Qi Younian and Ye Xinyan in hopes of gaining their forgiveness first, and then figure out a way with Prince Yu and Jiang Yifan later, so that his words would carry weight. He needed to open the conversation before the meal.

Just now, Ye Xinyan had come to the reception hall with Qi Younian and others, prepared in case Zhou Bingyi asked any particularly tricky questions, so that she could respond accordingly. With the two clerks in this guest hall primarily handling the documentation for rail transport, she was truly uneasy about having a sitting Prefectural Magistrate in the house.

Who would have expected that Zhou Bingyi would only be interested in the scenery? Had she known this, she wouldn’t have come. To spend so much time here was a waste; she could have spent these moments reclining on the bed in her new room, reading leisurely, which would have been much better.

Seeing Qi Younian escort Zhou Bingyi toward the dining hall, she stopped in her tracks. Her home was no longer ordinary, now boasting a second entrance. As a female relative, she would usually move about in the back courtyard. Naturally, accompanying Zhou Bingyi for a meal was unrelated to her.

As she was about to turn around, she heard Zhou Bingyi’s voice, "May I inquire if Father-in-law Qi and Lady Qi could come in for a moment to hear a few words from this official?"

Ye Xinyan’s step paused briefly before moving forward again. It felt inappropriate to ignore him completely, so she stopped. What Zhou Bingyi had to say must certainly pertain to Liang Qiyuan’s matter. Since it had to be addressed sooner or later, listening now would put one more issue to rest.

Qi Younian had already answered, "Since the official has commanded, how dare this old man defy? Please enter first, and this old man, accompanied by my granddaughter, will surely follow the official’s orders."

Zhou Bingyi turned and looked toward Ye Xinyan.

Ye Xinyan bent her knees slightly and followed them to the dining hall.

Qi Younian, Cheung Wusi, and Wong Qiao accompanied Zhou Bingyi and Jiang Yifan at the table, while Ye Xinyan, as a female relative specifically mentioned by Zhou Bingyi, sat on a round stool a little farther away from the dining table.

The group first exchanged a few polite niceties, and then Zhou Bingyi brought up the main topic, starting by expressing his sincere gratitude to the Qi family for once taking care of his two children.

Next, the conversation shifted to Liang Qiyuan’s ignorance and ingratitude. Zhou Bingyi fiercely berated Liang Qiyuan, calling him foolish, blind, and lacking knowledge of the world’s ways. He ranted that the Liang family, even if they used all their resources, could not compare to Lady Qi alone, and so forth—it was just short of accusing them of rebellion.

He then somberly admitted that he had failed to properly restrain and educate his family and relatives, taking all the responsibility upon himself.

After that, he earnestly pleaded with Qi Younian and Lady Qi to be magnanimous, considering that Liang Qiyuan had already been punished, and to show some understanding. As long as it would appease Lady Qi, he said, anything could be done with Liang Qiyuan.

When Zhou Bingyi said these words, he even stood up from the table and bowed in a full circle to Qi Younian and Ye Xinyan. The sincerity he conveyed was almost as respectful as the bow Qi Younian gave when meeting the Prefectural Magistrate. This startled Qi Younian into quickly standing and returning the bow in kind.

Ye Xinyan also had no choice but to stand and return the bow. Seeing this, everyone else naturally could not remain seated; they all stood up, causing a moment of boisterous confusion in the room with many voices saying "My lord, you must not" and "My lord is too courteous" among other things.

Although Ye Xinyan was repulsed by the Liang family’s summons to make pastries at their home, her revulsion was not due to the task of making pastries itself. After all, her family ran a food shop to make money, and as long as they were paid enough silver, it was not a problem for the shop’s workers to make pastries on site.

What she disliked was the way the Liang family conducted themselves. They knew full well that Zhou Biyao had visited the Qi family twice already, once even having a meal there, yet they still had the audacity to specifically ask for her to serve pastries at the Liang Residence, as if doing so would showcase their superior status. It vividly illustrated the truth of Lian Gui’s words—they did not know their own worth, courting their own doom.

Yet, if because of this she were to accuse Liang Qiyuan of rebelling and deeply punish the Liang family, spanning from the elders to the children, Ye Xinyan felt that it would be excessive. There were also those people in the prison, and dozens more outside unaware of the full situation, who had caused trouble because of silver.

The problem was that the current situation was not under her control; it was Liang Qiyuan who had made this mess, which was then expertly exploited by Jiang Yifan. Who knew the true intricacies of the affair? She simply could not believe that Jiang Yifan would, just to vent her anger, send the Liang family and the somewhat troublesome common folk of Qingyuan County to their demise, risking the promising situation Qingyuan County currently enjoyed.

It is important to note that the stability of a place is also a key performance indicator for the local officials in charge. Jiang Yifan causing a civil unrest in his jurisdiction meant risking his own official evaluation for this year or even the next; he had absolutely no reason to do this.

In summary, this was not her doing, nor was it for her to decide. Although she was distressed at the prospect of involving so many people, she could not say anything until she clearly understood what Jiang Yifan and Jinrong intended.