She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 433 - 431

Chapter 433: 431

The Crown Prince naturally did not oppose Tan Weixian’s proposal. He said, "Alright, this is an important matter. Gather everyone in the afternoon for a consultation. We must select competent people for the task. However, even if Lao Liu is indeed doing it for profit, we can no longer allow him to act on his whims. Now that he has returned, we cannot let him leave again. I will find a way to deal with Imperial Father. Send word out; tell the capital’s yamen and the counties around the capital to be vigilant. If Lao Liu tries to buy land to establish a cattle farm or dairy workshop again, find an excuse to block him."

Tan Weixian agreed and then tentatively said, "I feel that we shouldn’t let Ye Xinyan go unchecked either. If she can’t be won over, we must restrict her. The guard she brought from Yuyuan Prefecture is named Guan He, and he is no simple man. Today, during the opening of the railway business, there were many idle men loitering around. Guan He weaved through the crowd a few times, and quietly, he managed to lead away over a dozen people without causing any commotion. Bringing such a capable guard to the capital is quite thought-provoking."

The Crown Prince asked in surprise, "Where did he take them? Did he knock them out? If he is injuring people without cause, then have the government officers arrest him and lock him up. Let’s see just how capable he really is."

Tan Weixian replied with a helpless smile, "If he had left such evidence, he wouldn’t be considered capable. Guan He made his move in a dense crowd without alerting anyone. It seemed he simply used gestures like patting on the back to round up over a dozen idle men. These people appeared to have no external injuries, but their limbs were numb. It took them a long time to recover, and they had to massage and pat each other before they could leave Changping Street with difficulty."

"It will be difficult to control Guan He with government officers," continued Tan Weixian. "No one saw him make a move, and our men, pretending to be passersby, casually inquired about it. Those people hurriedly made excuses, acting as if they were just strolling around. It seems they were thoroughly frightened and will no longer dare to appear at the railway business."

The Crown Prince said indifferently, "Then let it be; no matter how skilled he is, he’s just a guard. If you think that Ye Xinyan should not be left unattended, why don’t we first arrange for an official of modest rank to have his family members get to know Ye Xinyan? We’ll see if they can win her over and sound her out in the process. Considering the incident from the year before last, which woman would want to associate with her? She would be desperate for any acquaintance."

Tan Weixian consented, but added, "Your Highness’s method is good. However, as you said, with such a reputation, I’m afraid no woman would want to involve herself with her. Perhaps Your Highness could suggest to His Majesty that Qi Ye is a corrupting influence. If His Majesty were to suppress her, there would be no problem. His Highness Prince Yu got himself in all sorts of trouble after his dealings with Ye Xinyan. If Ye Xinyan were confined to the inner chambers, Prince Yu would have no further issues and would go back to his carefree ways, seeking pleasure elsewhere."

......

In truth, His Highness Prince Yu was utterly unaware of being the object of concern and was not lazily sleeping at home as Ye Xinyan had falsely accused; instead, he had gone out to ride horses with several friends early in the morning, reinforcing his image as a hedonistic young nobleman.

After leisurely spending the entire morning, these wasteful sons of influential families had just settled into the largest restaurant in the capital when the invited Yang Hao arrived.

Upon entering, Yang Hao started with a litany of complaints: "Look at how great you all have it, not having to bear the name of a scholarly family. You can go out of the city to ride horses and have fun. Yet you leave me stuck in the capital, enduring endless lectures from the old man."

"Get lost, aren’t you just showing off your family’s good standing?" Xu Deng retorted first, and then he leaned in, taking malicious pleasure in asking, "Did your learned grandfather compare you to Ji Chengru of the Ji Family again?"

At the mention of this, Yang Hao became infuriated. That Ji Chengru was really too low; why did he have to share the same birthday? As members of scholarly families, having a progressive young talent like Ji Chengru to compare with made his life difficult.

"Exactly. And that Ji Chengru, all he does is stay at home and study all day. What joy does he find in life? Is the Ji Family simply living for praise from others? If his family wants that, so be it, but why should it lead to the old man scolding me every time?" Yang Hao spoke with heartfelt frustration.

Jinrong snorted disdainfully, "Enough. Your being scolded has nothing to do with Ji Chengru or the Ji Family. It’s your grandfather, Grand Scholar Yang, who insists on bringing them up. Being compared to a profligate like you, Ji Chengru and the Ji Family are quite innocent."

"Hey, hey, hey, do you talk to people like that?" If Jinrong wasn’t going by the name of a prince, Yang Hao would’ve started cursing already, "What about me? How am I inferior to this Ji Chengru? In what way am I not better than him, huh?"

Several people burst into laughter, and Xing Zhonghe, the grandson of the current Grand Tutor, chuckled: "In what aspect are you stronger than him? If there were any, your grandfather wouldn’t be so frustrated with you."

Yang Hao glared round at the group of friends who were no good for him and said decisively, "I’m not going to talk about this with you guys. You’re even worse than me. At least my grandfather still has hope for me, hoping I’ll turn myself around. You guys, on the other hand, have been written off as beyond redemption and let loose."

Xu Deng patted his shoulder, his voice laden with deep emotion, "It’s alright, we don’t mind you. Anyway, soon your father and grandfather will give up on you too, and you’ll be just like us, no longer needing to suffer."

Yang Hao pushed his hand away and glared at him. Finally, he understood that what Xu Deng was talking about was the future he desired. He just glared at him fiercely, picked up the tea in front of him, and drank it all in one gulp.

Jinrong, smiling, nudged Yang Hao and asked, "So did you study at home today? How many essays did you write?"

"I..." Yang Hao was at a loss for words at first, but then his spirits lifted, "I went to see the opening of the railway carriage line. You guys didn’t see it; that was the real spectacle, so lively and bustling."

The crowd burst into laughter again.

Xu Deng said with a laugh, "My lord, I predict that from today on, your grandfather will confirm that you are beyond saving."

This time Yang Hao was not upset but spoke with pride, "Please don’t compare me with you. My lord, I was there to witness a historical event, while you lot were idly frolicking for half a day, which is not at all the same thing. Today, the restaurants and eateries on both sides of Changping Street were filled with many a serious figure attending to proper matters. Even His Highness Prince Fu took leave to watch from a restaurant. I’m sorry to say, I was one of those serious figures."

The group erupted into laughter and teasing once more.

Xing Zhonghe turned to Jinrong and asked, "The railway carriage line is the Sixth Master’s own business; why didn’t the Sixth Master go to boost his own business’s face?" All eyes turned to Jinrong.

Jinrong, clearly very pleased with himself, gestured grandly and said, "No need, if the Sixth Master, Lao Liu, sees a business as promising, it can’t go wrong; it will thrive even without anyone to front it." Did he not want to witness history? He didn’t want to attract the attention of certain people, so he could only keep his distance.

Speaking of the railway carriage, everyone immediately thought of the recent rumors swirling around the capital. Xu Deng and Huang Rui exchanged glances, and Xu Deng asked, "Sixth Master, the railway under construction in the capital was previously deemed a failed project. Yet, not long after you returned, these two sections of railway were up and running. People are saying it was all made possible by that Qi Ye, the official in charge who came back with you, is that right?"