She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 330 - 329 Will Grandfather Do This?

Chapter 330: Chapter 329 Will Grandfather Do This?

Ye Xinyan turned her thoughts back to the capital. If Duke An was truly a ruthless old fox who didn’t fear losing face and simply used an excuse to acknowledge her, then even if Jinrong intervened, there would be no reason to stop them from taking back their granddaughter. And she,

as the legitimate eldest granddaughter of Duke An, would have to obey the orders and dutifully return to the capital, back to Duke An’s Mansion.

Dammit! Ye Xinyan clenched her fist and hammered the windowsill, only to hurt her own hand.

No wonder she was so irritable. When she first arrived here, she took over the mess left by the original owner and was about to face a life of hidden and confined existence. Even though she managed to escape, surprising Duke An and many others in the capital, the months of fleeing were the most difficult and challenging times she had ever remembered.

She had only enjoyed a few good days, and now she was to be summoned back to the capital? Although strictly speaking, her current life was not that great, it was merely busier but came with freedom and no constraints. It was infinitely better than being confined to the inner quarters, vying with a group of idle women in petty intrigues.

It wouldn’t do, Ye Xinyan stood up, casually closing the workshop’s window. She had to fight for her future.

......

Hearing that the servant reported Qi Ye requesting an audience, Jinrong was stunned. This was the first time Ye Xinyan had visited him; could she have encountered some trouble?

The first thing Jinrong thought of was Zhao Gang. Zhao Gang had arrived only a few days ago, and now Ye Xinyan was seeking him out. Had Zhao Gang brought her some difficult news to decide upon?

"Where is Lady Qi now?" Jinrong asked while walking out.

Hong Wu followed closely behind, answering, "She has been led to the guest hall."

Jinrong nodded and headed to the guest hall. Upon entering, he saw Ye Xinyan sitting leisurely in the guest seat, looking around the room’s furnishings with little sign of anxiety or worry.

Upon seeing Jinrong enter, Ye Xinyan quickly got up to greet him. Jinrong waved his hand, "No need for formalities, sit down." He glanced at the empty table without anything on it and turned to ask Hongzhi, "Why isn’t the tea served?"

Our Sixth Master... is too unflappable..., Hongzhi hurriedly answered, "It’s being prepared now, Lady Qi has only just arrived."

Ye Xinyan echoed, "Yes, I had just sat down when the Sixth Master arrived."

Jinrong casually acknowledged with an "Oh," took the principal seat, and gestured for Ye Xinyan, saying, "Sit down and talk."

Once Ye Xinyan was seated, he probed, "Is everything well at home?"

Ye Xinyan didn’t know why Jinrong was asking this but quickly nodded, "Thank you, Sixth Master, for your concern. All is well."

Jinrong took another look at Ye Xinyan’s expression; she indeed did not seem like she had urgent matters. He said, "Yuanfan and I ran into Zhao Gang and his companions at the Great Crane House yesterday. We only exchanged brief greetings and did not talk in detail. Do you know what he’s doing in such a remote place? Is he just here to visit you on behalf of Marquis Zhongyong and the wife of the heir apparent?"

Ye Xinyan nodded, "That’s the case at the moment."

"Oh?" Jinrong asked in surprise, "That’s the case at the moment? What kind of phrase is that, does it mean it might not be the case later?"

Ye Xinyan nodded rather reluctantly, her face finally showing a trace of annoyance, "Sixth Master should know that Uncle Zhao had previously taken great care of me; his affection is naturally unlike others’. Before I came to your place, Uncle Zhao spoke to me, saying that my grandfather might take me back."

Seeing Jinrong’s look of astonishment, she added, "It’s just a possibility, not certain. Uncle Zhao told me that he saw the servants of Duke’s Mansion treating me with respect and because they frequently correspond with people in the capital, he guessed that my grandfather must have been informed about the situation here and had instructed them, which is why they are content to serve the Qi family in this rural place."

Ye Xinyan roughly relayed Zhao Gang’s intentions to Jinrong, asking, "Based on Sixth Master’s understanding of my grandfather, would he do this? Duke An’s Mansion just announced last year that their granddaughter had died, would they blatantly contradict what they’ve said after just a year or two? This is a matter of the deceased; it’s not the same as other things, wouldn’t it be unjustifiable?"

The more Jinrong heard, the more he found it amusing; indeed, it was quite possible. Elder Master Ye’s position in the Great Xia Dynasty was not based solely on his military merits; another very important factor was his carefree nature. If he truly wanted to take Ye Xinyan back, any reason could be possible; after all, the informed already knew the truth.

Just look at how Duke An, upon learning that his granddaughter was under the protection of Prince Yu’s power, immediately sent servants to take care of her, using the same reason as Nanny Jin—that he saw a girl who resembled his granddaughter and therefore loved her as his own. He totally disregarded what others thought or felt.

Still, Jinrong didn’t know what reason the old man would use to take Ye Xinyan back.

Jinrong smiled and nodded, saying, "According to Elder Master Ye’s unreasonable nature, if he wants to take you back, no matter what awkward excuse he uses, he will certainly have you return, regardless of others’ opinions. Anyway, even with numerous excuses, no one would believe that Duke An’s Mansion had just announced the death of their granddaughter and then Nanny Jin, who had likewise vanished, would come across a girl who happened to look exactly like the Duke’s daughter."

A touch of worry appeared on Ye Xinyan’s face as she asked again, "Does my grandfather really care so much if his descendants are brave to the point of overlooking their conduct?" She still hoped that Duke An would disdain her behavior and give up on taking her back.

Thinking back to the events involving Ye Xinyan he had discussed with Jiang Yifan the day before, Jinrong reflected, "Every man hates to see his descendants hesitate and be indecisive. As for Elder Master Ye, he probably feels even stronger about this. Besides, your behavior is quite acceptable; at worst, you are just excessively ruthless, without much malice. That doesn’t amount to poor conduct."

Upon hearing Jinrong speak like this, Ye Xinyan couldn’t help but roll her eyes to the side. That original host of hers, not malicious? Why make trouble for a concubine sister to outshine if she couldn’t stand it, using such malicious schemes? It was only because she had transmigrated here; if the situation that day had truly involved Ye Xinyi, she would likely have no other choice but death.

This wasn’t considered malicious, then what was? The ancient people’s standards for defining improper conduct were indeed peculiar.

Jinrong watched Ye Xinyan without regard for her image and chuckled, asking, "What’s the matter? Do you think I’m wrong? Where didn’t I speak correctly?"

Jinrong was extremely pleased as he awaited Ye Xinyan’s response. Miss Ye’s way of thinking was indeed different from ordinary people. She listened very seriously to the first part of his speech. But when he complimented her conduct, it seemed to offend her.

Ye Xinyan spoke in a listless tone, "Sixth Master, there’s no need to say things you don’t mean in the future. I’m aware of my own issues, I know what kind of person I am, and no amount of praise from Sixth Master can change anything."