She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 432 - 430: The Prince is Still Carefree

Chapter 432: Chapter 430: The Prince is Still Carefree

Duke An smiled contentedly, "When a person has sufficient ability, they naturally earn the respect of others. If you were still the disappointing figure of before, would I, an old man of Duke An’s household, still so cautiously inquire whether you’re willing to return home?" A single rope could have dragged you back.

No, these words must not be said. The young girl now has ability and a powerful backer, currently the focus of attention from many forces, indeed a difficult one to provoke.

...

Duke An wasn’t wrong. Many people knew, the deceased Miss Ye of Duke An’s Mansion had assumed a new name, pretending to be a common woman, and returned to the capital. Although everyone was extremely shocked at Duke An’s disregard for face and Miss Ye’s bold and reckless actions, Miss Ye actually went to work on the construction site of the railway that Prince Yu had undertaken.

Elder Master Ye, don’t you want to clarify how someone whose age and appearance so closely match the announced deceased Miss Ye from the Duke’s Mansion, using the servants of Miss Ye, could emerge so openly and unmasked before the eyes of many in the capital?

Elder Master Ye, this action of yours... lacks finesse, doesn’t it show too little consideration for us dignitaries of the capital?

What was even more jaw-dropping was that Miss Ye truly knew how to get things done, and it was the kind of task with great difficulty.

Miss Ye quietly went to work for a day, while everyone was still wondering what Miss Ye could possibly accomplish, not only did the construction on Changping Street undertaken by Prince Yu become more active, starting to tidy up the railway’s surroundings. But also, the previously depressed and desolate construction site, which had been languishing for so long that even businessmen undertaking the railway carriage construction had nearly given up hope, suddenly became lively, the enthusiasm on the construction site skyrocketing like never before.

Several construction sites were working non-stop throughout the night, illuminated by lanterns and torches. It was just laying some tracks, which had been delayed for a year, and with twenty days left until the New Year, what difference would a few days make?

The facts proved that these few days were very important.

The railway on Changping Street was rectified in a very short time, and the previously deemed failed Railway Carriage—astonishingly, it opened for business.

Among the many eyes following the operation of the Railway Carriage, there were the Crown Prince’s Mansion spies, who observed the opening of the Railway Carriages from various angles and different positions.

When the Crown Prince returned to his mansion after court, he intended to find the main recorder of the Crown Prince’s Mansion, Tan Weixian, to ask how the Railway Carriage project undertaken by Lao Liu was operating, but saw that Tan Weixian was already waiting for him.

Tan Weixian greeted the Crown Prince at the entrance to the study courtyard and, without waiting for the Crown Prince to speak, he took the initiative to report, "The Railway Carriage Prince Yu undertook is now in motion. Two of our people tried it, it’s more stable than the usual carriages, with much less jolting. Despite the carriage being large, it moved quite gracefully. If there are no major hidden faults, it should be deemed a success."

The Crown Prince paused for a moment, then continued walking into the room.

Once the Crown Prince had shed his outer garment and the two were seated, the Crown Prince took a sip of hot tea and asked, "What have the lads found out? Is it really that Ye Xinyan who managed the opening and operations?"

Tan Weixian’s expression was complex as he nodded and said, "It seems like it. Although the construction undertaken by Prince Yu was completed in October, it wasn’t until the beginning of December that it was set into motion again. According to the route and timing of His Highness Prince Yu’s return to the capital, it would seem that Prince Yu and Miss Ye were nearly arriving at the capital city by then. My suspicion is that Prince Yu had already begun making preparations for the operation of the Railway Carriage during the journey."

The Crown Prince pondered and said, "Lao Liu has been restless these past two years. Although the cattle ranch only profits locally, the cheese made it all the way to the capital city, and he’s the only one doing it. Though it is a merchant’s business, he has earned a great deal of silver.

"Then there’s this Railway Carriage... Alas, if he manages to be the first to succeed, that would mean Prince Yu has paved the way for railway transportation. If railway transportation is successful in the future, the historians will surely have to mention the Railway Carriage. How did Lao Liu get ahead with such an initiative? "

Tan Weixian remained silent. The Crown Prince wasn’t wrong; if railway transport could indeed succeed, it’s not to say that it would be legendary, but at the very least, the world would have an important new means of transport. The importance of the canal transport, which the court firmly controlled and tightly grasped, becoming a lucrative post that officials eagerly sought after, didn’t it all depend on the mode of transport?

After a long while, Tan Weixian finally spoke, "No one could have expected this. Perhaps even His Highness Prince Yu didn’t expect to encounter a Ye family woman when he planned to squander his time in Yuyuan Prefecture, nor did he anticipate that the Ye family girl who had been mediocre in the capital for over a decade could become so formidable."

The Crown Prince suddenly thought of a possibility, "Do you think it’s possible that Ye Xinyan’s escape from the capital two years ago was aided by Lao Liu?"

Tan Weixian shook his head with a wry smile, "I’ve also considered this, but after careful thought, it’s almost impossible. Prince Yu left the capital city in the view of many people, and our men followed him all the way.

"Even Prince Yu’s encounter with Ye Xinyan was coincidental. Miss Ye had been doing small business for a long time, and Prince Yu only bought some trinkets from her. It wasn’t until they started raising cattle and making cheese that the two began to formally cooperate. If Prince Yu had assisted Miss Ye in escaping, the cattle ranch might have started half a year earlier."

The Crown Prince nodded, he had just mentioned it in passing, but upon careful consideration, it really seemed impossible. It was not worth it, a woman making herself utterly infamous, running off to such a distant place, and then returning. What for?

The Crown Prince said with a wry smile, "If the operation of the Railway Carriage is indeed managed by this woman, then, as Mr. Tan said, it’s truly frightening. I recall Lao Liu returned on the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, right? Today is only the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, and that distant Railway Carriage has already managed to operate and carry passengers."

Tan Weixian reported another piece of news that depressed the Crown Prince, "The latest information from the lads revealed that three sections of track adjacent to the track on Changping Street, at latest by the day after tomorrow, can also be integrated into the track operated by His Highness Prince Yu, to operate jointly. By then, the originally planned circle of Railway Carriages around the capital city would be half interconnected."

The successful operation of the Railway Carriage was initially a positive development, but with His Highness Prince Yu’s involvement, it left the Crown Prince and Prince Fu looking unsightly. The two princes, renowned for their capacity, had always been in the capital city, but they didn’t match up to the Sixth Prince who had spent two years wandering outside. Upon the Sixth Prince’s return, having spent only a handful of days without any apparent exhaustive effort, he managed to utterly transform the chaotic situation in the capital city.

The Crown Prince said, annoyed, "Mr. Tan, what do you make of Lao Liu’s actions? All those years he spent, only to be named the Carefree Prince. Now, getting involved in such a conspicuous matter, wasn’t all his earlier effort in vain?"

Tan Weixian replied, "Not necessarily. His Highness Prince Yu’s deeds are eye-catching, but they are also to make silver. The Prince still lives a carefree life. The Railway Carriage opened for business today, and His Highness Prince Yu didn’t show up, supposedly he went out of the city with a group of friends to ride horses.

"Your Highness should consider what to do after the success of the Railway Carriage’s operations. It would be best for our people to be the first to propose launching railway transport, to seize the initiative. When it comes to assigning duties, Your Highness will have more weight to your words. If Your Highness can preside over the success of railway transport, naturally you would be more renowned than the Sixth Master, whose works are solely for making money."