She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 324 - 323 Some Past Events

Chapter 324: Chapter 323 Some Past Events

Jinrong actually knew that the notorious Miss Ye from Duke An’s Mansion could stir up trouble, and that after making trouble, it was often the people from Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion who would come to clean up the mess. However, he didn’t know that there was a fixed team of people handling these situations.

"The same people always handle the aftermath? Why?" Jinrong asked in surprise.

Jiang Yifan explained, "It’s not really for any specific reason. Ye Xinyan is not easy to manage and is not favored by the heir of Duke An. The wife of the heir apparent worries that Ye Xinyan will be further loathed by the people of Duke An’s Mansion, so when Ye Xinyan causes trouble, she usually goes back to Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion to seek help from General Zhenyuan.

Zhao Gang is a hereditary servant of Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion, and he grew up with the Marquis Zhongyong’s heir. Later, he served with the heir in the military until the latter was conferred the title of General Zhenyuan, and Zhao Gang also held a military post. Therefore, General Zhenyuan treats him differently from others, and these embarrassing matters are always handled by him."

Jinrong laughed and said, "No wonder Miss Ye of the Ye Family can be so rampant in the capital. That year, she even beat up a Commandery Princess, causing such an uproar, and in the end, the issue was dropped. With the influence of Duke An’s Mansion and the protection of Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion and General Zhenyuan, it couldn’t continue even if they wanted it to."

Jiang Yifan looked at Jinrong and asked, "There was such an incident?" He had underestimated Ye Xinyan; she actually had such spectacular exploits. The Commandery Princess, which prince’s daughter could she be?

Recalling the incident, Jinrong still found it amusing, "The daughter of Prince An Ping, Princess Xianrong, who behaves so daintily ordinarily and looks down on Miss Ye’s reputation and conduct. They were just kids then, around eleven or twelve years old. Princess Xianrong verbally mocked Miss Ye for being vulgar, and our Miss Ye, who had never suffered such an insult, immediately stepped forward and began to fight.

The two young ladies were rolling on the ground, clawing at each other, and several maids and old women servants couldn’t pull them apart. Princess Xianrong was two years older than Ye Xinyan, but Ye Xinyan was fierce enough and ruthless with her blows, matching Princess Xianrong blow for blow. Tsk tsk, you should have seen the scene... To say it was too tragic to look at is not an overstatement." Jinrong tried to restrain himself, but his schadenfreude was unmistakable.

Jiang Yifan was also wide-eyed with astonishment, to hear such an incident. Prince An Ping, Jinrong’s granduncle, let the matter go? Prince An Ping actually suffered such a loss?

"How was it settled later?"

Jinrong answered, "The process of the incident was clear; it was Miss Ye who struck first. We all thought Miss Ye was done for. But, as it turns out, the ones who stepped in were not only Marquis Zhongyong and General Zhenyuan, but also Elder Master Ye."

"Ah?" Jiang Yifan didn’t understand, from his memory, Duke An seemed indifferent towards Ye Xinyan, yet he stepped in on such an issue, confronting Prince An Ping.

"Unexpected, right?" Jinrong nodded seriously toward Jiang Yifan, "But it was indeed the case. Duke An’s stance was very straightforward at the time; he directly apologized to Prince An Ping, saying he had failed to discipline his granddaughter properly, leaving it to Prince An Ping and the princess consort to decide the punishment. Then, in a turn, he took his granddaughter, with her disheveled clothes and hair, into his own arms, and just looked at Prince An Ping without saying a word."

"That’s... considered leaving it for them to decide?" Jiang Yifan’s face was incredibly expressive, not expecting Duke An to act so shamelessly at times.

Jinrong spread his hands, "Yes, with Duke An’s behavior, everyone present was left dumbfounded. Ye Tang stepped forward, and with Marquis Zhongyong and General Zhenyuan watching like tigers on the sidelines, what could be done but to let the matter go? Miss Ye has actually always been protected by both families, which is why she could act so arrogantly in the capital. Later on, had that scandal not occurred during Duke An’s birthday feast and been witnessed by so many, she probably would have gotten off scot-free."

Jiang Yifan, probably recalling unpleasant memories from the past, did not continue the conversation and his face expressed an indescribable emotion.

This time Jinrong did not twist the knife in further, but changed the subject and asked, "How is the preparation for your road construction project going?"

Jiang Yifan also cast aside the matters concerning Ye Xinyan in the capital and answered, "Not bad overall, these days I’ve merely let slip the news about the county government office planning road construction, mainly operating on the land for building shops and houses alongside the road. These days, there are already people inquiring with the clerks and government officials in the Yamen, and some have gone to the head of the county to ask questions."

Jinrong laughed and praised, "You’re quite something, little guy. The project hasn’t even started, and people are already planning to deliver silver to your doorstep."

Jiang Yifan gave him a sidelong glance and scoffed, "Sixth Master, are you mocking me? Ye Zi has already brought the idea to this stage; if I couldn’t even think of these strategies, I’d die of embarrassment. Could I even show my face?"

"That is true," Jinrong nodded.

Jiang Yifan choked back a response, he might as well not have said anything. Did that mean he deserved to die of embarrassment, or was it just that it was only natural for him to think of those strategies and nothing special?

Jiang Yifan picked up the tea in front of him and took a large gulp, deciding to let Jinrong’s words go in one ear and out the other.

Jinrong continued, "Then you better prepare quickly and start construction sooner. At least before you leave office, you should see results in tax revenue and urban prosperity."

About that matter... Jiang Yifan frowned slightly and pondered, "The clerks in the engineering department of the county government office only handle daily maintenance and miscellaneous matters; they’re not very good at managing road construction. I was actually planning to consult Ye Zi in the next few days and commission her in the name of the county government office to draft a regulation. With Zhao Gang’s arrival, the matter can only be postponed for now."

Jinrong mockingly said to him, "Yuanfan, you really need to pick up the pace. Are we brothers really so dependent on Ye Zi that we’re at a loss without her?"

Jiang Yifan was not bothered by Jinrong’s ridicule, "Of course, I could do it myself if I had to. But why not seek out an existing master planner instead of slowly grinding through the project myself, which would be a waste of the court’s silver and labor? That would be indefensible."

"That is true." Despite his teasing, Jinrong also hoped that Jiang Yifan’s political achievements would be excellent, providing a solid reason for promotion when the time came, "Who knows how long Zhao Gang will stay here, if it gets too late, it’ll be close to the end of the year."

"I think Zhao Gang will return to the capital before the end of the year; there is still some time. I fear that Ye Zi will also be busy with her own matters before the year’s end. Let’s wait and see. If Ye Zi can list the detailed startup procedures for the project, the rest can be handled by the scribes of the county government office. I imagine, this way will be much quicker than if they did it themselves."

"Not good," Jinrong shook his head, "I think it’s better to transfer those two clerks from my mansion to help you out. These clerks have worked with Ye Zi and to this day praise her novel approaches. They are somewhat familiar with the order and thinking process Ye Zi uses when handling affairs. If they could get the details listed by Ye Zi, they would be much more effective than your engineering clerks."

Jiang Yifan’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. He had been so focused on figuring out how to gather silver from merchants and wealthy households in the past few days that the idea of using people from Sixth Master’s Mansion had not occurred to him. With these two who had assisted Ye Xinyan and Wang Qiao in handling the road construction, and with potential guidance from Ye Xinyan, this project would be in good hands.

Jiang Yifan stood up formally, bowed to Jinrong, and said, "Then I must trouble Sixth Master, and I thank you for your assistance." It was necessary to express gratitude; the courtyard construction for Prince Yu’s Other Mansion in Yuyuan Prefecture was about to commence, and though Jinrong could spare men for him, using other supervisors for the courtyard project would not be as convenient as those two clerks.

"You really are no fun," Jinrong said with a wave of his hand, clearly unimpressed.

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