She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 440 - 438: Not as Simple as It Seems

Chapter 440: Chapter 438: Not as Simple as It Seems

Duke An watched his granddaughter leave, unsure of what he was feeling. Her temper, it seemed, had barely changed at all; she just became more methodical in her speech and actions. If she had been this decisive from the beginning, grasping the essence of things, who knows how his Duke’s Mansion would be now.

If she had been allowed to beat Maternal Aunt Liu to death that year, would his son have gone mad?

Facing a barrage of criticism and intimidation from his daughter, Ye Hongyang, pale with fright, looked dumbly toward Duke An.

Duke An said irritably, "What’s the use of looking at me? You’d better go back and talk to your Maternal Aunt Liu. If the Xinyan of back then had someone strangle her, who on earth would dare kill a granddaughter of Duke An and a niece of Marquis Zhongyong to make up for the life of a concubine? The Xinyan of today is no longer that naive child; you all had better watch out."

Ye Hongyang’s lips quivered for a long while before he was able to say one sentence, "Won’t father and mother care at all?"

Duke An scoffed coldly, "If I could have taken care of it, I should have sold your concubine off early on, sparing us these troubles now."

......

Having successfully intimidated Ye Hongyang, Ye Xinyan naturally did not concern herself with how Ye Hongyang would convey the message to Maternal Aunt Liu or how panicked they both would become.

After leaving Duke An’s study, she returned to lunch and rest in high spirits. After her noon nap, as she was about to head off to work, she encountered Guan He beside the carriage. It wasn’t so much the sight of Guan He that mattered, as the insufferable, half-smiling, half-mocking face he was making.

With one foot already stepping onto the carriage stool, Ye Xinyan thought for a moment, withdrew her foot, turned her head, and asked Guan He, "What’s the matter, Big Brother Guan seems to have something to say."

Guan He snorted coldly, "You want to intimidate father, that’s your business, but why drag me into this? Letting you slander me so recklessly. Will I be able to live a carefree life in the future?"

Hmm? Ye Xinyan’s thoughts turned quickly before she remembered: she had promised Guan He yesterday that she would switch back the maid taking care of Jiajia. But due to the interrogation from Duke An, she had forgotten all about it. It seemed Guan He was quite unhappy this morning.

Ye Xinyan glanced sideways at Guan He for a good while. Guan He, meeting Ye Xinyan’s gaze, said coldly, "What? Am I wrong?"

Ye Xinyan nodded and responded, "Big Brother Guan is not wrong, but neither am I. Don’t you have the capability?" That terrifying ability to obliterate a family all on your own.

Guan He stared at Ye Xinyan, genuinely puzzled as to how Jiang Yifan could be so fixated on and unable to let go of such an arrogant and impudent woman. Where was she compared to Zi Ning, who was forthright, clear as crystal, and utterly delightful to look at?

"You said yesterday that you would switch back the maid who looks after Jiajia, so why did you go back on your word so quickly?" Guan He asked.

Ye Xinyan looked at the two maids beside her with a smiling gaze and lowered her voice, "Not all women in this world are like me, unfazed by reputational damage. Big Brother Guan should be more careful in what he says, especially when it involves an innocent and naïve little girl. One must be cautious."

Guan He paused, realizing she had a point; Zi Ning was not as thick-skinned as Ye Xinyan, naturally she couldn’t be subjected to careless gossip.

Ye Xinyan chuckled as she saw that Guan He had immediately shut his mouth. "When I return today," she said, "I’ll have to ask Zi Ning whether she’s willing to see an old man flit before her eyes all the time."

"Old... man?" Guan He’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"What? Doesn’t thirty count as old? Zi Ning is only twenty-nine, in the prime of her youth." Ye Xinyan exaggeratedly curled her lips and then boarded the carriage, taking a seat deep inside and not looking outside again.

The last to board from Song Ping’s household sat near the edge, stealing glances at Ye Xinyan. He opened his mouth several times to say something cautionary but could not find the words. Sighing, he decided to go back and inform Nanny Jin, to have her advise Miss. Ye’s fierce gaze was daunting; with just one look, she left him speechless.

As Ye Xinyan sat in the carriage, she couldn’t understand how someone like Guan He could be so captivated by an ingenue like Zi Ning, who was simple and honest to a fault.

...

Today marked the first day of the merger and joint operation of the three other railway lines with the two from Changping Street, as well as the last day of free operation. Due to the extended routes, the starting point for the Railway Carriage’s first ride had also changed.

With the foundation laid in the previous two days, people knew that traveling by Railway Carriage was comfortable and stable, the route now longer than before by more than double. Thus, when the initial ride kicked off at Chen Hour, a crowd had already filled the area beneath the sign, forming a rather lengthy queue, even if done orderly.

The guards from Duke An’s Mansion, accompanied by the attendants from Jinrong Residence, took turns on horseback following the Railway Carriage several times. This was not only to inspect the operations but also to escort the journey of the carriages.

With the lengthened route, more Railway Carriages were put into operation. At the terminus on the other end of the railway, there was a quaint two-story eatery that, unlike other noisy shops and taverns, had an unexpectedly quiet atmosphere. Although there were no visible guards or sentinels, not a single idler could get close.

On the second floor, near the window, stood a fifty-something man dressed in ostentatious clothing and an elderly man. A few steps away from both sides of these two, several guards stood, athletic and strong. These were akin to the ones at the stairway entrance—barely noticeable, almost silent, blending into the background.

The two men were not facing the side overlooking the railway; instead, the well-dressed man watched a spacious temporary yard behind and to the side of the tavern. When a set of three carriages reached the end of the line, they would enter this yard for inspection and maintenance.

At that moment, three carriages turned off the main track at the endpoint and entered the yard. As soon as they came to a stop, the team inside sprang into action. Some checked various parts of the carriage; others cleaned the wheels and sides; some inspected the interior, and there were those who examined the horses’ hooves, cleaned the horses, and changed the dung bags at their rears.

After a thorough inspection, the coachmen and horses would rest for a quarter of an hour before preparing to set off again.

The man in the elegant clothing silently watched the entire process for one batch of carriages. He then nodded to the elderly man beside him and said, "The operation of this Railway Carriage is meticulously arranged and well executed. Mr. Han, looking at such detailed work, don’t you think His Highness Prince Yu came back this time fully prepared?"

That Mr. Han was naturally Cabinet Prime Minister Han Yanhui. Hearing His Majesty’s inquiry, he bowed and replied, "To arrange such a novel endeavor so thoroughly, His Highness Prince Yu must have prepared in advance. Otherwise, such detailed operations could not have been carried out on such short notice."

The Emperor and Han Yanhui returned to their seats by the window at the front of the restaurant. Together, they watched the surging crowd below, the orderly railway, and the carriages coming and going.

After a moment of contemplation, the Emperor said, "When Prince Yu entered the capital, the railway construction was already complete; so were the carriages. And Ye Xinyan, who came back with him, took over this vast project without the slightest resistance upon her return. There must be more to it than meets the eye."