She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 441 - 439: End of Work

Chapter 441: Chapter 439: End of Work

The information Han Yanhui had previously gathered about the railway carriage was all obtained through his agents.

This time, accompanying His Majesty on the inspection, he also witnessed the operation of the railway carriage for the first time. As a person in control of the broader picture, Han Yanhui was very clear about what the orderly operation of the railway carriage signified. The carriage might seem to simply run back and forth on the tracks, yet the complexity of the affairs behind it was vast. To manage these affairs both on the surface and behind the scenes in an orderly manner, there must be one or several individuals who have thoroughly researched the operations of the railway carriage.

He was very reluctant to believe that this person was Duke An’s granddaughter, that Ye Family girl with a tarnished reputation. If a woman could handle affairs to such an extent, wouldn’t it be a slap in the face for all the men in the world?

Yet various signs clearly indicated that, in the series of events concerning His Highness Prince Yu in the past two years, this woman played a pivotal role.

Two years ago, when he saw the railway transport proposal, he was genuinely excited for quite a while. However, with the difficulties in laying track in the capital, he became somewhat anxious about the prospects of railway transport.

The railway carriage project that had troubled the entire capital for a year had immediately come to life after Prince Yu returned. It started busily and advanced at an incredibly fast pace. In just over ten days, it had reached a level of bustling yet orderly progress.

Han Yanhui looked up and saw His Majesty the Emperor looking at him. He quickly smiled and said, "This humble official was so absorbed by the swift progress of the railway carriage over these ten-odd days that I was lost in thought. His Highness Prince Yu never used to have the patience for practical affairs, but since his trip to Yuyuan Prefecture at the beginning of last year, he has been working on some very strategic projects. Speaking of which, these projects are all related to Duke An’s granddaughter."

His Majesty asked again, "What if the railway project is indeed the sole planning of Ye Xinyan, does Mr. Han think it’s possible?"

Han Yanhui paused, "She’s just a woman, even if intellectually superior, surely not to such an outstanding degree?"

His Majesty looked out the window, "Mr. Han is right. Let’s wait and see. Perhaps the granddaughter of the Ye Family is indeed a rare talent who was spoiled by the wife of Duke An’s Heir Apparent. It’s only after she had to fend for herself and think painstakingly about how to make a living that her hidden talents emerged. From the current situation, Ye Xinyan’s role in the railway project cannot be underestimated."

His Majesty fell silent for a moment, then said, "If the railway project truly is led by this woman, it’s a pity for her status. With such ability, if she were a man, appointed to a significant position in the Ministry of Works, wouldn’t the court’s projects be much easier to handle?"

Han Yanhui kept agreeing, yet he was extremely surprised inside. The Emperor of this dynasty was a man very strict with others and himself, and it was rare for him to praise someone so highly, especially a woman. It was a pity that Duke An’s younger generation was a woman; if she were a man, she could have reversed the decline and decadence of the Duke’s Heir Apparent’s generation.

Ye Xinyan was unaware that His Majesty the Emperor had personally come to scrutinize the operation of the railway carriage. After inspecting the condition of the rails along the way, she went to find Hu Jing to discuss expediting the other sections of the capital’s railway construction.

Subsequently, Ye Xinyan was so busy she was like a spinning top, her mind not on anything else.

Although the railway carriage had started charging for rides, the number of passengers hadn’t decreased at all. Especially the luxury four-person carriages, two of which were dispatched each trip, were still not meeting demand.

With the new year approaching, the streets were crowded with pedestrians and vehicles, and traffic congestion was common. Riding ordinary carriages or sedan chairs, if caught in a street jam, only prominent figures could clear a path, while everyone else had no choice but to wait anxiously. It was at these times that the railway carriage demonstrated its superiority.

The railway carriage traveled smoothly, free from congestion.

Even before the court discussed the use of railway carriages in the capital city, the clause that pedestrians and vehicles must not occupy the railroads had been passed through court deliberations. However, like anything else, habit formation requires a process, and before this habit could be established, clearing the railroad sections consumed a vast amount of manpower from Ye Xinyan’s side.

This was made possible thanks to a share in the railway car business belonging to His Highness Prince Yu, who could call upon constables from the Capital Prefecture. Even so, ensuring that half of the capital’s railroad sections were free of vehicles and pedestrians was an incredibly difficult task.

Moreover, the yamen officers and constables also had their duties and, while they could patrol, it was impossible to guarantee their presence along the entire line. If they encountered officials or noble and prestigious individuals blocking the tracks, even the presence of a constable would be to no avail.

In the end, it was Guan He who sought out the well-reputed odd-job men and idle men in the area, using silver to have these people help maintain the flow of traffic on behalf of Prince Yu’s Mansion during their spare time.

With many hands making light work, they somehow managed to conclude the railway carriage operations before the lunar new year.

The other half of the capital city’s unfinished railroad saw many craftsmen and laborers rushing their work day and night, and only by the 28th of the last month of the year did they manage to barely install all the necessary materials and equipment, though the tracks were still not in use. However, this made watch and patrols much simpler, and the streets of the capital became level and clean once again.

If one were to count carefully, since Ye Xinyan returned to Duke An’s Mansion in the early days of December until the 28th of the last month, she had only spent one full day at Duke An’s Mansion, devoted one day to visit Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion, and the rest of the time she was busy on the construction site.

Especially in these last ten days, she would leave the house before dawn and only return as dusk was falling, with less than a Shichen Chinese Time in the middle to have lunch at home and take a brief rest.

Madam Yin, naturally full of compassion for her daughter, nonetheless felt powerless to intervene. Who would dare raise an objection to a task personally appointed by His Majesty, and besides, it was one of the conditions for her daughter to regain her status.

To this day, Madam Yin still remembered the embarrassment of the incident at the old master’s birthday feast the year before last. Yet, after Ah Yan’s return this time, especially after His Majesty mentioned Ah Yan’s full name in the Imperial Court, Madam Yin noticed a distinctly different attitude from other ladies and madams when they met.

When mentioning the eldest Miss of the Ye Family, their words were no longer evasive; regardless of whether it was sincere or not, there was now a subtle sense of praise for the abilities of the eldest Miss of the Ye Family.

These changes made Madam Yin’s heart bloom with joy, signaling that from now on, her Ah Yan could stand proudly in front of others without being looked down upon or having to hear those hurtful idle gossips.

So, although Madam Yin felt sorry for her daughter, she could only arrange for more sumptuous and appetizing meals, and ordered the maids and those from Song Ping’s household to take good care of the Miss. When walking on the construction site, she must remember to bring along her canopy and remember the identity of the eldest miss of Duke An’s Mansion.

Luckily, her Ah Yan’s capabilities were great, and the railway carriage, which had been a headache for the entire capital for a year, operated exceptionally well under Ah Yan’s management, and other tasks were also completed before the new year. In two years, she could finally spend a beautifully reunion year with her daughter.

On the evening of the 28th of the last month, after Ye Xinyan returned from work, Madam Yin did not fuss and, after dinner, promptly sent her back to her room, urging her to rest early so that she could sleep longer the next day.

Madam Yin, who had arranged for Ye Xinyan to sleep in, came to Ye Xinyan’s courtyard early on the 29th.