She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 439 - 437 Intimidation

Chapter 439: Chapter 437 Intimidation

Ye Xinyan was stunned. What was the emperor doing? How could she, a woman who had lost all her face in the high society of the capital, be mentioned by the emperor during a formal court assembly? Although it was about assigning her a task, was it necessary to discuss it at the Imperial Court?

"Is His Majesty doing this to give face to Sixth Master, or to my grandfather?" Ye Xinyan asked.

Jinrong smiled and said, "Maybe Imperial Father is just giving face to you, Ye Zi?"

Ye Xinyan shook her head, "It’s highly unlikely."

She still had some self-awareness; in ancient times, emperors valued scholarly knowledge, which meant a thorough understanding of the classics and history, but they would never regard someone with skills in handicrafts as important.

Hu Jing was also taken aback. The incident involving Miss Ye at Duke An’s birthday banquet had indeed caused a sensation in the capital. Even though she was later sent to the ancestral temple and met an untimely end, it was merely Duke An’s Mansion way of dealing with the matter. For a noble and prestigious household like Duke An’s Mansion, the loss of face in that incident was something that could never be retrieved, no matter the time.

Yet, two years later, Miss Ye had reappeared alive. Not only was she accepted by her family, but she had also managed to gain recognition from His Majesty on the Imperial Court. The face given to Duke An was enormous, and Miss Ye’s abilities were clearly evident.

Overall, this incident was a good thing for both Sixth Master and Miss Ye. On the surface, His Majesty the Emperor seemed to be reprimanding Prince Yu in the court assembly, but on closer consideration, if His Majesty truly saw Prince Yu as an irresponsible and frivolous prince, Prince Yu would have been praised by the emperor for getting the railway carriage running.

The reprimand, from another perspective, was His Majesty’s strict way of showing high expectations for Prince Yu.

Hu Jing picked up the teapot that had been warming on the nearby charcoal stove and refilled the cups for the three of them, smiling, "This is a good thing, no matter what His Majesty’s intentions are, it shows that he values both Sixth Master and Miss Ye highly."

Jinrong picked up his teacup and smiled, "When I walked in, I saw you all so happy. What’s the good news?"

Hu Jing smiled back, "The matters we’re talking about here are just an addition to the task given to Sixth Master."

...

When Duke An’s Heir Apparent Ye Hongyang stormed into Duke An’s study in a furious rage, Duke An was talking to Ye Xinyan and saw the Heir Apparent and his helpless-looking Attendant burst in behind him.

Duke An waved to the attendant Ye Sheng, "Alright, you may leave." He then gestured to the young servant An Nian standing by his side, "Serve the Heir Apparent some tea."

Ye Hongyang did not sit down in the chair Duke An had gestured to but instead pointed at Ye Xinyan and asked Duke An, "Father, in today’s court assembly, did His Majesty assign a task to this scourge?"

Duke An frowned and said, "What kind of way is that to speak? She is your daughter, my granddaughter."

Ye Hongyang said in a furious voice, "I do not have such a disgraceful daughter. Her existence in this world has been nothing but a source of shame and embarrassment for me. Instead of securing a future for your grandson, you plead for a woman with no virtue before the Emperor; have you lost your mind?"

Arguing with such a fool is simply beneath one’s dignity, but tolerating his constant irascibility is also vexing.

Ye Xinyan smoothed her sleeve and slowly said, "Princely Heir, I often hear the term ’bane of existence’ from your mouth, which clearly shows the Princely Heir’s deep loathing for me. How about this, you go to the Yamen and see if you can sever ties with me. To tell the truth, I am also very unwilling to have any connection with the Princely Heir."

Upon hearing Ye Xinyan’s words, Ye Hongyang was first taken aback, then became furiously ashamed. His face turned red as he shouted at Ye Xinyan, "You, you, you are being defiant! I will go to the Yamen and accuse you of defiance!"

Ye Xinyan suddenly felt a tinge of regret. Maybe she should have devised a more subtle way, coaxing Ye Hongyang to write a document to sever their relationship, rather than speaking such ruthless words in front of Duke An. She was the granddaughter of Duke An, whereas Ye Hongyang was his only son.

"I ask you, Princely Heir, what have I done? What did I say? How am I being defiant?" Ye Xinyan asked.

Duke An watched these two, one his son, the other his granddaughter, neither of whom would listen to reason. The old man couldn’t help but long for his days stationed at the border pass, where matters were easier to deal with on the battlefield, where relying on one’s own skills and wits, one could just find a way to annihilate the enemy. But facing these two...

"Xinyan, can’t you just give in to him? He is still your father," Duke An said helplessly.

Ye Xinyan’s face immediately grew cold, "Grandfather, those words you spoke are unfair. How have I not given in? He and Maternal Aunt Liu conspired to harm my mother to such an extent, what did my mother and I ever do to him? Had I sought an opportunity earlier to burst into Maternal Aunt Liu’s Secluded Fragrance Garden, and strangled her with a rope, who could have done anything to me?"

Ye Hongyang, looking at the stern expression on Ye Xinyan’s face and thinking of that outcome, shuddered in fear, "You, you dare? Murdering a person is a capital offence!"

Ye Xinyan chuckled coldly, "That would be murdering a person, but is Maternal Aunt Liu even human?"

Ye Hongyang was stunned; Ye Xinyan continued, "Maternal Aunt, she is but a servant of Duke An’s Mansion, a servant who caused my mother to be without issue. As the legitimate eldest granddaughter of Duke An’s Mansion, if I accidentally killed a servile woman who had committed numerous evils, what could they do to me? At worst, I would bear an ill reputation. Am I, Ye Xinyan, afraid of a bad name?"

"You, you are mad!" Ye Hongyang trembled as he cursed, turning to plead with Duke An, "Father, you heard her, did you not? She is a wolf, a wolf that will never be tamed. You can’t keep her here any longer; drive her out!"

"Enough!" Duke An slammed the table, sweeping the teacup off it onto the floor, "Haven’t you understood yet? The fact that your beloved Maternal Aunt Liu is alive and well today is not because you two are capable but because Madam Yin and Ye Xinyan are not ruthless enough. Killing your beloved Maternal Aunt would make her nothing more than a despised woman, is it any different from her current plight?"

After scolding Ye Hongyang, Duke An turned and shouted angrily at Ye Xinyan, "And you, he is your father, your life was given by him. How can you treat your birth father this way?"

Ye Xinyan cast her eyes downward and said faintly, "I have not spoken excessively to the Princely Heir, all I have said pertains to Maternal Aunt Liu. As the legitimate eldest granddaughter, must I respect a Maternal Aunt?"

After speaking, Ye Xinyan stood up, bowed to Duke An, "Previously, my actions were unbecoming, causing grandfather to bear so much criticism for me. In the future, I will constrain my behavior, ensuring that the Duke’s Mansion, grandfather, and mother will not be shamed because of me. However, if you cannot control your son, the Princely Heir will surely not bring you honor; there is nothing I can do about that."

"The hour is already late, I will take my leave now." After bowing again, just as Ye Xinyan was about to turn around, she looked toward Ye Hongyang.

"Oh yes, you seem to have always looked down on Guan He. But let me remind you, Guan He’s skills are such that he can silence someone without a trace. I do know how to be kind to others, but it also depends on who they are. You and your Maternal Aunt should not provoke my mother and me, or else, if something unfortunate happens to Maternal Aunt Liu or to my bastard sister and brother, it would be a pity. At most, I could just run away again and still live gloriously outside, while you, Princely Heir, would only have fear and regret to accompany you for the rest of your life.