She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 418 - 417 Our Village Is Great

Chapter 418: Chapter 417 Our Village Is Great

Jinrong smiled and looked back at Duke An, answering with a laugh, "I have already discussed this matter with His Majesty. Wan Yan from my mansion is very knowledgeable about rail transportation of materials. When the court decided on rail transportation, Uncle Wan was in the capital. Upon learning that the court planned to initiate railway carriages, Uncle Wan instructed the advisors staying back at the prince’s mansion to take on part of the railway project if an opportunity arose. The advisors in the prince’s mansion are indeed capable, and they handled this matter quite well. If the railway carriage operation is successful, it will be a highly profitable affair."

Duke An, of course, knew who Wan Yan was, given to the Sixth Prince by His Majesty when the latter left the palace to establish his own mansion. However, that did not explain everything. Duke An pressed further, "Has there ever been an operation like the railway carriage before? Why does Your Highness feel so certain that it will succeed and be profitable?"

Jinrong still bore that smug, smiling demeanor, "Whether the railway carriage can be successful, I am not certain. I am only very confident in the judgment of Duke’s granddaughter."

When Duke An wanted to probe deeper, Jinrong was no longer willing to elaborate, and began to give non-committal answers and evade the conversation.

As he was being brushed off by a prince, Duke An naturally had no way to insist. He was left to sit idly with Jinrong, engaging in half an hour of inconsequential conversation before Jinrong finally took his leave.

Before leaving, Jinrong requested that Duke An pass a message to Ye Xinyan, stating that the railway project was very urgent, and asking whether Ye Xinyan could start work the next day. He also conveyed that the preparations she had arranged for earlier were well taken care of by the official in charge of the engineering work, who was just waiting for her to take command.

This left Duke An feeling rather frustrated—wasn’t this the main reason the young man had come to visit? But who could blame his granddaughter for accepting the request? They could only comply. The old master found it strange—Ye Xinyan had only left home for a mere two years and already possessed such ability that even the affairs in a prince’s hands were her preferred responsibility.

Since Duke An was inclined to witness Ye Xinyan’s capabilities and wished for her success, he naturally would not stand in her way.

As soon as Jinrong left, he summoned Ye Xinyan to the study, and together with Lian Gui, repeated Jinrong’s words and explained that Ye Xinyan had to leave the mansion for the task. He instructed Ye Xinyan to devote herself wholeheartedly to Prince Yu’s commission; she was assured that if she needed additional hands or encountered any difficulties, she only needed to speak up, and the Duke’s Mansion would find a solution for her.

Ye Xinyan, upon hearing this, felt genuinely touched. Perhaps, this was the advantage of receiving the support of one’s family? Maybe it was just as Zhao Gang had said, the old master really wished for an outstanding and capable younger generation.

The day before, everyone from the Duke An’s Mansion and the Ye Family had gathered for a banquet, enjoying a reunion meal together. She had not yet had the time to visit Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion when the task had already come urgent.

Ye Xinyan returned to her courtyard and found that Qi Sanshun and Qi Jiajia were still at Guan He’s place and had not returned. After some thought, she decided to visit Madam Yin at Morning Moon Courtyard to discuss, as she predicted that she would become busy in the coming days. Taking advantage of the free time today, and instead of sending a formal invitation, she simply sent a messenger to notify Madam Yin that she was bringing Ye Xinyan, who had come from Yuyuan Prefecture, back to visit her maternal home.

They hurriedly prepared gifts for those returning from Qingyuan County. They called Qi Sanshun and Qi Jiajia back and cleaned their hands and faces, and tidied up their clothes and accessories. By the time they were ready to set off, it was precisely Si Hour.

Walking with Madam Yin toward the Second Gate, Ye Xinyan estimated that their visit to Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion at this hour was timely for a meal. By the time they arrived, there would hardly be time for conversation before it was mealtime.

Although they had only been in the Duke’s Mansion for two days, Qi Jiajia and Qi Sanshun had already lost their initial fascination with the place. As they passed the layered courtyards of Duke An’s Mansion, the two children merely glanced around casually.

Qi Jiajia, holding Ye Xinyan’s hand, asked excitedly, "Sister, what does Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion look like? Is it as big as Duke An’s Mansion? Mother takes us around Duke An’s Mansion several times every day, yet there are still many places we’ve not visited. Sister, why do they live in such a big mansion? There are not that many people in Grandfather Duke’s family, and so many rooms are unoccupied."

Ye Xinyan found it amusing, "Yes, such a big yard and house do seem a bit wasteful." It was a symbol of status and wealth, and mansions have always been one of the goals that people tirelessly pursue, regardless of how many people actually live in the family.

Qi Jiaer continued, "Actually, having a big yard is quite fun. It’s like our village, which is also very big, and I really like it too. Brother Sanshun, Brother Xiao Si, and I would run around the whole village playing."

Listening to Qi Jiaer’s words, Ye Xinyan almost laughed out loud. If Ye Hongyang heard that Qi Jiaer was comparing Duke An’s Mansion to a remote rural village, she wondered what his expression would be.

"Do you think Duke An’s Mansion is like our village?" Ye Xinyan asked with a smile.

Madam Yin couldn’t help shaking her head and chuckling as she listened to their conversation.

Qi Jiaer shook her head, "Although the rooms in Duke An’s Mansion are prettier and bigger than the houses in the village, they are not as nice as our village. In our village, you can go and play anywhere you want, even in other people’s yards and homes. It’s not good in Duke An’s Mansion; there are many places you can’t go to."

Ye Xinyan smiled and explained, "The bigger the house, the more trouble it is to manage, so the rules are strict. We are guests here, naturally, we must follow the host’s rules. It’s the same at Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion; you can’t just run around wildly."

Qi Jiaer nodded her understanding, "I know. Although the houses here are pretty, I still prefer our kind of home. My sister and I have adjoining rooms, and just a few steps outside our door are Grandfather’s and Uncle Guan’s rooms. I also liked our house from a long time ago. My sister, nanny, and I lived together, and right outside were Grandfather’s rooms, which felt so close and intimate."

Madam Yin remembered what Lian Gui had told her about the Qi family’s living arrangements and knew that they previously lived in two simple thatched cottages. In the past, she felt sorry for Ah Yan and was very sympathetic. But now, hearing Qi Jiaer speak this way, she suddenly felt a sense of longing. Living together like that as a family was indeed very intimate.

At this time, Marquis Zhongyong and Yin Xiaocheng hadn’t returned from court, and Ye Xinyan’s two cousins should also be at the Yamen on duty. When Madam Yin and Ye Xinyan arrived at Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion, they were greeted by Yin Xiaocheng’s wife, Madam Sun, and Madam Yin’s second sister-in-law, Lady Wei.

Madam Yin and Ye Xinyan’s carriage entered the Second Gate before coming to a stop; the maids helped Madam Yin and the four of them down from the carriage, where Madam Sun and Lady Wei, leading their own daughters-in-law, also greeted them at the Second Gate.

Madam Sun greeted Madam Yin first and then took Ye Xinyan’s hand, looking her up and down.

Madam Sun said with a smile, "Look at our child, she really has become successful. Both the General and Zhao Gang praised our Young Lady for being sensible and capable, and indeed, she is. Where are the two boys? Come here and let your Aunt have a look."

Ye Xinyan hurriedly had the two of them greet Madam Sun and Lady Wei.

Lady Wei watched from the side, unable to contain her amazement. Her sister-in-law’s daughter had really changed from before. That incident a few years ago, which almost ruined her life, seemed to have turned into a blessing for this niece. Last year, when her elder brother’s trusted associate visited her in Yuyuan Prefecture and came back singing praises, she thought it was mostly flattery, but now upon seeing her, even the things Zhao Gang said appeared to have some truth.