She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 396 - 395: Guan He Doesn’t Want to Go

Chapter 396: Chapter 395: Guan He Doesn’t Want to Go

Jiang Yifan’s words made Ye Xinyan nod incessantly. As a prince, Jinrong was entitled to protect his father’s subjects, and she believed in that righteousness.

And with Guan He’s assistance, her chances of successfully escaping the capital a second time undeniably increased. That was precisely the effect she desired. With such a trump card by her side, Ye Xinyan couldn’t have had an uncomfortable life in the capital even if she tried—it all depended on whether Hero Guan was willing to stoop to being her protector.

Jinrong turned to Jiang Yifan and said, "You’ve had more dealings with Duke An than us. Tell me, if we bought a residence in the capital for the Qi family, couldn’t Ye Zi simply live there as Qi Ye instead of at Duke An’s Mansion? If Duke An needed her for anything, she could just make a trip back."

Ye Xinyan’s eyes lit up when she heard this. It would be wonderful if it were so. This year, the grandfather had made a sizeable profit from building gardens for Jinrong. Buying a residence in the capital was well within their means. They didn’t need to purchase a large residence with five or seven courtyards; a modest one with three courtyards was achievable. Furthermore, if the grandfather and Qi Jiaer ever came to the capital, they would have their own place to stay.

If it truly were possible, and she had her own residence to live in, backed by the noble houses of Duke An, Marquis Zhongyong, and Prince Yu, wouldn’t she be able to walk sideways through the capital? Such brazenness, merely thinking about it, made Ye Xinyan feel unrestrained—as if she were living the life of a nouveau riche, akin to a second-generation official or a rich heir.

Ye Xinyan was indulging in her happy thoughts when she heard Jiang Yifan say, "That’s not very likely. Sixth Master doesn’t understand Duke An well enough. I think the reason Duke An brought Ye Zi back to the capital was that he truly wanted to acknowledge her as part of the Ye Family."

He glanced at Ye Xinyan as he spoke, "Duke An holds a hereditary title that can’t be replaced. Generation after generation of the Ye family has had its talents, but none to speak of from Elder Master Ye’s lineage. Neither his sons nor grandsons are noteworthy. Elder Master Ye is almost desperate for his descendants to achieve something noteworthy. Now that he has Ye Zi, who is outstanding, I imagine Elder Master must be gratified. So, he definitely won’t agree to Ye Zi living outside, especially not in some Qi family residence."

Having said his piece, Jiang Yifan looked at Ye Xinyan again. Although Ah Yan’s current appearance was vastly different from her past, and according to Ye Zi, memories of a lifetime lived vividly in a dream should be more pronounced in her memory.

As for what she thought of her current identity and her present parents, Jiang Yifan wasn’t sure, but no matter how mediocre, they were ultimately her father. Speaking ill of Ah Yan’s father still put pressure on him.

Fortunately, a thick sense of disappointment was the only thing visible on Ye Xinyan’s face, and she did not take Jiang Yifan’s comments about the Princely Heir and the several illegitimate brothers to heart.

Before long, Guan He returned with a group of children, several of the older ones carrying a few wild rabbits. The yard became bustling with noise and activity once again.

Jinrong stayed in the guest hall to discuss with Qi Younian and Ye Xinyan about arranging for Nanny Jin to return and to prepare for the journey.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yifan took Guan He to his room to discuss the matter of going to the capital.

As expected, Guan He wasn’t so easily persuaded. The moment he heard Jiang Yifan’s words, a mocking expression bloomed on his face, "Are you even capable of winning back your wife? And now you want to drag me into it? I’m living such a carefree life in this rural place; why would I want to go to the capital, with its pretentious elite everywhere? It’s utterly dull there, and I refuse to go."

Jiang Yifan frowned at Guan He and said, "Brother, you’ve been helping the Qi family, so naturally, you should ensure the safety of the Qi family members. Asking you to take this trip isn’t asking too much, is it?"

Guan He decisively said, "Think back to what you said when you invited me here. You said you wanted me to stay at the Qi family, and I was to intervene if the Qi family was in trouble, to prevent them from being taken advantage of. In addition, I was to casually look after two of their properties. And now, you want me to play bodyguard for a woman, I can’t believe you have the nerve to ask that of me."

A look akin to remorse appeared on Jiang Yifan’s face, but his tune did not change, "Senior brother knows that things were not going well between Ah Yan and me at that time. Given her temperament, she was naturally annoyed with me. Having stayed here for some time, senior brother should understand Ah Yan. If I can’t bring her home as my wife, where else would I find such a lively and spirited woman? Just help me out this once. With senior brother by my side, I’m certain to have a better chance of succeeding."

"Look at the state of you," Guan He said with a tone full of disappointment, "You lacked ambition yourself, so you shoved me in the middle? Even if I were to be someone’s enforcer, I’d pick someone with power, right? Being at the beck and call of a woman, I can’t believe you came up with that."

"Is that just any woman? That’s your sister-in-law, alright? Senior brother is protecting his own family. Do you think you’d still lack opportunities to protect someone powerful? Would you have waited till now?"

Rolling his eyes, Jiang Yifan continued, "Has our master not told you to watch over me? It’s concerning a matter of my lifetime, surely that counts as a big deal, right? Can’t you just help me out? Moreover, without Ye Zi and Qi Sanshun at the Qi family, what’s the point of senior brother staying here?"

Guan He didn’t even bother to bat an eyelid this time; did he think that by taking Qi Sanshun away, Guan He would follow? What was he thinking?

"When I originally asked senior brother to come to the Qi family, it was partly to look after the Qi family and partly to allow senior brother to settle down. Think about it; over the years, how many people like Ah Yan, capable of stirring up fresh excitement, have you come across in your travels? With senior brother following Ah Yan, you’d have an interesting life yourself. Anyway, I’ve told senior brother that if Brother Jia follows Ah Yan, Zi Ning is going to go with her too. By then, the Qi family won’t have anyone to attend to senior brother."

Guan He frowned and then looked at Jiang Yifan with knitted brows.

Jiang Yifan wisely avoided entangling further on the previous topic and continued to persuade, "Trust me, senior brother, staying in the capital with Ah Yan, your days will definitely be more enjoyable. In the past, whenever senior brother stirred up trouble, you could only flee the scene. Now, with Ah Yan taking the lead, if you stir up trouble, just retreat to your room to drink wine and have some snacks; someone will clean up the troubles for you."

"Think about it, senior brother, living a life of luxury without getting into any mess. Could there be anything more pleasant than that?"

Guan He stirred. If it were like that, maybe the capital was worth a visit? Compared to other places, life in the capital was indeed grand. The prospect of living unrestrainedly in the capital for a while seemed quite appealing.

He lifted his eyes to look at Jiang Yifan: "For the sake of your wife, you’re quite aggressive, huh? You actually know how to tempt me."

With all seriousness, Jiang Yifan said, "I’m doing this for your good, senior brother."

"Enough, you think I’m as foolish as you?" Guan He asked further, "It’s one thing for Ye Xinyan to go back, but why did you take Sanshun and Brother Jia back as well? They have nothing to do with the Ye Family. If Ye Xinyan is unhappy in the capital and decides to leave, wouldn’t that just add to the burden? Don’t tell me that you’re bringing me to the capital but not planning to help Ye Xinyan escape from there again."