She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 258 - 257: That’s Exactly the Result I Wanted

Chapter 258: Chapter 257: That’s Exactly the Result I Wanted

Qi Younian’s experiences over the years hadn’t been for naught; he knew a case like this wasn’t for a commoner like him to decide, nor did he dare to make any bold promises or speak candidly. He could only repeatedly utter all sorts of polite platitudes as a stalling tactic.

Although he didn’t dare look at Jiang Yifan for fear of letting Zhou Bingyi catch on, he was waiting for Jiang Yifan to speak. If Jiang Yifan remained silent, he would have no choice but to repeat a bunch of redundant phrases with Zhou Bingyi, saying things like: I dare not presume, how could I be connected with your lordship, Elder Master Liang simply wasn’t thinking clearly when he did such a thing, and so on.

Jiang Yifan’s eyelids were low, listening to Qi Younian and Zhou Bingyi’s back-and-forth pleasantries, and he did not speak up to smooth things over for a long while.

Every time he thought of the Liang family sending Ye Xinyan to his house to serve pastries, he felt a surge of nameless anger. Even if this matter made it past the Sixth Master, he would still have to make Liang Qiyuan suffer, to ensure that from then on, the Liang family had to live cautiously and frugally, no longer possessing the power to stir troubles, nor receiving the admiring courtesies from the local gentry and government clerks.

Ye Xinyan, seeing Qi Younian managing the conversation with difficulty, coughed lightly. For their most innocent elder to deal with a Fourth-Rank Official, Jiang Yifan and Jinrong were indeed pushing it.

Jiang Yifan responded at once, saying, "As long as things are clear, that’s good. My lord, please take a seat. The old master of the Qi family is broad-minded and won’t dwell on trivial matters; my lord needn’t worry too much."

Qi Younian followed up, saying, "Yes, yes, please sit, my lord. Now that we have spoken clearly, this old fellow understands my lord’s intention and will certainly not fixate on the matter."

Zhou Bingyi glanced over Qi Younian, Ye Xinyan, and Jiang Yifan, and although he was annoyed, he couldn’t find the words. Jiang Yifan’s just now might as well not have been spoken, and Qi Younian, despite being very respectful, had not said a word about not holding a grudge against Liang Qiyuan.

Even if Qi Younian or Ye Xinyan had harshly criticized Liang Qiyuan’s failings, he could have followed up with compensation terms or punishment measures to appease the Qi family. But no, from the moment he began to speak, not once did anyone from the Qi family mention any fault or blame regarding Liang Qiyuan, as if those concerns had nothing to do with them, as if they were unaware of why Liang Qiyuan had ended up in such a situation.

Zhou Bingyi was annoyed but couldn’t express it.

All these people were his subordinates, the commoners under his jurisdiction. Under normal circumstances, he would not have found himself in such a position. But Qingyuan County had Prince Yu, and the Qi family had family servants from Duke An’s Mansion who served Qi Ye and subordinates from Prince Yu’s Mansion. Hence, Jiang Yifan was no ordinary subordinate, and the Qi family were not average rootless commoners.

That Liang Qiyuan, daring to provoke such a tough nut, couldn’t be more foolish.

Qi Younian, facing Zhou Bingyi’s glaring gaze, remained very calm and innocent, saying, "Please take a seat, my lord. Have some tea first, and then it will soon be lunch."

It would not be good to discuss the matter before lunch, and even less so after it. Zhou Bingyi hesitated.

The most troubled among them was Qi Younian. Ye Xinyan glanced at everyone present, and also gave Jiang Yifan a look, before saying, "Lord Zhou."

Zhou Bingyi hurriedly responded, "Lady Qi, please speak." Qi Ye’s status was special and played a key role here. If Qi Ye could speak, perhaps it might suffice as an explanation for Duke An’s Mansion, as well as a reason for the Sixth Master to plea for leniency.

Jiang Yifan furrowed his brows steeply as Ye Xinyan’s gaze swept past him, then slowly relaxed. She was already unhappy just now, was she about to speak and single out her family? Yes, that was the process.

Ye Xinyan said, "The Liang Residence is a very close relative of Lord Zhou, and they are considered people of status. So, it’s normal for them to be a bit presumptuous, but to act in an excessive manner is indeed true."

"That’s correct, what Lady Qi said is not wrong, Liang Qiyuan indeed acted too excessively." Finally, someone was willing to admit that Liang Qiyuan was in the wrong. Zhou Bingyi eagerly nodded his head, feeling extremely grateful inside.

"Let us stick to the facts. There is no need for such courtesy, my Lord," continued Ye Xinyan, "Elder Liang’s actions, though they didn’t cause substantial harm to the little woman, did result in the small eatery being unable to operate for a while, leading to a loss of some silver coin. This little woman is but a humble farmer’s wife, and could overlook what Elder Master Liang did. However, there is Sixth Master Rong in Qingyuan County. I’ve heard that Sixth Master Rong’s family background is quite formidable, and who knows whether he will take this matter to heart. With the situation having escalated to this extent, it isn’t something the little woman and her grandfather can decide upon. My Lord, you might want to look for a different solution."

Ye Xinyan, watching Zhou Bingyi’s expression fluctuate between relief and worry, softly reminded, "And then there’s Steward Lian, who just set off, who also knows about this whole affair Elder Liang has caused."

Zhou Bingyi’s heart gave another fierce jolt. Ye Xinyan continued, "I did instruct him earlier that, with matters as serious as peasant uprisings, one should be careful prior to reaching a definitive conclusion. However, I can only remind Steward Lian. Who knows what the Duke may think? Lord Zhou, you should listen to the opinions of Lord Jiang and Sixth Master Rong first."

"Please, take a seat, my Lord," Jiang Yifan said opportunately.

This was the outcome he desired. The Qi family, under extreme reluctance, could refrain from pursuing the issue with Liang Qiyuan. However, the Qi family had suffered a loss in this affair, and that loss had to be recuperated. It was best that the Qi family themselves broached the subject.

But Ye Zi couldn’t control His Highness Prince Yu. With a peasant uprising occurring in Prince Yu’s fief, leading to the severe incident of assaulting the Yamen, and considering the uprising took place in the county where Prince Yu was temporarily residing, what a huge shock that must have been for His Highness! Could one simply act as though the matter was over? What if someone implied that His Highness Prince Yu distanced himself from the court with ulterior motives... What then?

Therefore, in order to exonerate himself, Prince Yu would also need to ensure that the case would be heavily judged. Zhou Bingyi, after so many years in his career, should understand this reasoning. What followed would depend on how Zhou Bingyi would act.

Having been climbing the ranks for many years, Zhou Bingyi naturally knew the court’s protocols. With Qi Ye’s words, he felt somewhat reassured, and upon hearing Jiang Yifan’s invitation to sit, he gestured for everyone to take their seats at once.

After hitting a wall at Prince Yu’s the previous day, he knew the matter wouldn’t be easy to handle. For a prince, it was taboo for the region under his watch to experience peasant uprisings or rebellion. Thus, expecting His Highness Prince Yu to act as if nothing had happened was difficult.

But these matters had to be dealt with one step at a time. As long as the Qi family and Qi Ye showed clear forgiveness, the local issue could be considered closed. His focus was on seeking a resolution with Prince Yu.

Qi Ye had the ability to manage the supposedly lucrative properties to the north of the village. Wasn’t Prince Yu interested in Qi Ye? His younger daughter Biyao would arrive tomorrow, and with the Liang Residence now under Yamen surveillance, Biyao naturally couldn’t stay there. He had just taken a look at the Qi family’s courtyard, a neatly arranged two-entry household, and it was entirely appropriate for an unmarried girl like Biyao to temporarily stay at the home of a close friend.

With the favor of Qi Ye, a close friend from their boudoir days, it would be a little easier to speak with Prince Yu. If Biyao could persuade Qi Ye to plead for Liang Qiyuan before Prince Yu, that would be even better.

As long as it’s not about rebelling and threatening family and relatives, anything goes.