She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 430 - 428: Not Just About Making Money

Chapter 430: Chapter 428: Not Just About Making Money

Ye Xinyan’s carriage had just entered Duke An’s Mansion when the housekeeper Qiao Laiyun came out to greet them from the gatehouse.

The coachman stopped the carriage, and Qiao Laiyun stepped forward, approaching the side of Ye Xinyan’s carriage and bowed deep towards the compartment, saying, "The Duke is waiting in the study for Young Lady, may Young Lady visit now?"

Ye Xinyan lifted the curtain, and Qiao Laiyun, dressed in a deep grey cotton robe with a leather hat, was standing beside the carriage waiting for Ye Xinyan’s response.

Ye Xinyan asked, "Did the old master mention what it’s about?"

Qiao Laiyun replied, "The Duke only asked to have a word with the Young Lady, he didn’t mention the matter." The Duke had listened to reports from two scouts who had checked on the Railway Carriage service, so it seemed he wanted to discuss the Railway Carriage business with the young mistress. But since the old master hadn’t given any specifics, naturally, he couldn’t be too talkative.

Guan He, who had followed the carriage back, had been forcibly tasked by Ye Xinyan to deal with a few hooligans and was in a bad mood. Having already entered the mansion and seen that the housekeeper of Duke An’s Mansion had come to receive them, he couldn’t be bothered to enter the mansion again. He said to Ye Xinyan, who was sitting inside the carriage, "I’m going out to drink with old friends."

Without waiting for Ye Xinyan’s reply, he simply clasped his hands in a salute towards Lian Gui and Qiao Laiyun, grabbed the reins, and turned to walk away.

Ye Xinyan poked her head out to look in Guan He’s direction, thinking to herself, Is that necessary? It was just a matter of playing the role of an enforcer, and a high-ranking one at that. The conflict was resolved before it even began. With such effectiveness, why the temperament...

Turning back, Ye Xinyan gave an apologetic smile to Qiao Laiyun, "Since the old master has asked, I naturally must go. Uncle Qiao, please go ahead, I’ll head over now."

The carriage stopped near the driveway to Duke An’s study. Lian Gui waited as Ye Xinyan and the maid old woman servant alighted from the carriage, while Qiao Laiyun went to report to Duke An.

Watching Ye Xinyan enter the study, Qiao Laiyun asked Lian Gui, "How’s the business for the Railway Carriage managed by Young Lady on its first day?"

Lian Gui, also looking towards the study, spoke with a complex expression, "For the first three days, it’s free to ride, so it’s still hard to tell if the business is good. But those who have ridden it say the Railway Carriage is steady and fast. I believe that even if we start charging, there should be many who are willing to take the Railway Carriage for travel."

From the time the young mistress had been working on the railway construction site, the Changping Section and the adjacent railways had been bustling non-stop. In just a few days, the Railway Carriage that had been criticized by the officials and citizens of the capital for a year was actually put into use. In this world, is there anything the young mistress can’t do?

Lian Gui continued, then nodded to Qiao Laiyun, "The fact that the Railway Carriage actually works is probably the most important thing."

Qiao Laiyun, who had not witnessed the opening of the Railway Carriage, felt a sense of regret, "Indeed, the streets of the capital have been a mess for a year. If they could have been cleared sooner, and with the Railway Carriage to carry passengers and goods, perhaps the capital could have seen a new outlook."

Ye Xinyan handed her cloak to Jiu Yue outside the study before stepping inside.

Inside the study, only Duke An was seated on the chair at the head, attended by a young male servant.

Ye Xinyan stepped forward to pay her respects to Duke An. The Duke didn’t say much and pointed to a seat next to him, "Have a seat." He then instructed the attendant, "Brew a cup of hot tea for the Young Lady."

The patriarch’s mood was one of excitement and passion, a stark contrast to his indifferent disposition over the many years, which had only begun to fluctuate in the past year. And today, those fluctuations had materialized into a wish fulfilled. Although tarnished by a slight regret, this regret was indeed slight. What about his granddaughter? She too was a child of the Ye Family, bearing the Ye Family bloodline.

Furthermore, having an outstanding elder sister in the mansion meant that the younger siblings could follow her example; even if they lacked ambition, they wouldn’t be too bad. It’s just a pity about Madam Yin... Alas, where was their son? He must have been the Ye Family’s nemesis in a past life.

Duke An had given up hope on his son and only wished that his son’s decent concubine could bear a grandson—perhaps the grandson could be entrusted to his granddaughter, so that he could grow up to be as upright as the two boys from the Qi family, as forthright as any young lad should.

Ye Xinyan sat down in accordance with Duke An’s gesture and, seeing that his face was expressionless, she couldn’t help but feel surprised. That’s not right, didn’t the old man want to see if she could establish the railway carriage? Judging by the current situation, she hadn’t done badly at all.

"Did your lordship summon me for some matter?" Ye Xinyan inquired.

"Yes," Duke An nodded, dismissing the young servant who had come to serve tea with a wave of his hand, "although I’m aware of your capabilities, getting the Railway Carriage operational so swiftly still exceeded my expectations."

"Oh," Ye Xinyan nodded. Was this the matter? Just to tell her she had exceeded his expectations?

Are you perhaps not fully aware of what this young lady is capable of, my lord? Take Sixth Master Rong, for instance—he was not surprised in the slightest. Today, with the opening of the railway line, so many people came to watch and pry, both openly and in secret, yet Sixth Master Rong didn’t show up, and might still be fast asleep right now.

Duke An continued, "The people I sent to oversee the railway project reported back, saying that in the next day or two, several nearby railway lines could be integrated and put into use. Can they actually be used?"

Ye Xinyan gave Duke An a surprised look. As a high-ranking court official and military general, shouldn’t the old master be more concerned about whether the Railway Carriages are operational and whether they could be further deployed for transporting military supplies and provisions?

Even if one were to think smaller, one should be pleased that his granddaughter was capable of reviving the stalled and sluggish railway carriage operation that had been delayed for a year. Yet, the first substantial question the old master asked was about the other three lines. To those unaware, it might seem as though these three lines were projects undertaken by Duke An himself.

Ye Xinyan nodded in response, "Yes, the day after tomorrow they can be integrated and operational together. There are still some clean-up details on the construction sites due to the tight schedule, which needs to be handled by staff during the evening shutdown of operations."

"Did you have someone knowledgeable inspect the quality of those two projects? Are they reliable? You must be more cautious at this time. The current situation is very promising, and if those two lines are not reliable, it would be better not to use them than to let any faults disrupt the running of your lines," Duke An cautioned.

Ye Xinyan silently nodded to herself. This was a lesson in being prepared for danger in times of safety. How could the old master have his present influence without such foresight?

"They have been inspected. The projects for those two companies were rushed to completion with help from people under Prince Yu’s command. They’ve been checked and are reliable," she confirmed.

"That’s good," Duke An continued, "If the railway that encircles half of the capital starts operating and can maintain continuous service, then this is no longer merely a business matter—it can’t be measured simply by how much silver it earns. Do you understand what I’m getting at?" Duke An’s tone and expression grew serious as he spoke.

Ye Xinyan’s gaze fell on her cup as she paused silently before saying, "I understand. It’s about the implications of rail transport, right?"