She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 472 - 470: Not Bickering with the Girl

Chapter 472: Chapter 470: Not Bickering with the Girl

Princess Fu actually did take her hand, looked her over attentively for a moment, and then said to the two ladies with a smile, "It seems the capital has truly stifled this girl, look, after running around for two years, she’s not the same upon her return. At one glance, she emanates an air of greater maturity and understanding."

The two ladies naturally followed Princess Fu’s lead, lavishing Ye Xinyan with compliments from head to toe.

Ye Xinyan rose again, curtsied to Princess Fu and the two ladies, and said with an apologetic tone, "The young woman did not know better in the past, and must have made a laughingstock of the princess consort and the ladies."

Princess Fu turned to Old Lady Pei and Madam Tian with a smile, "See, she really has become wise."

Just as Ye Xinyan was trying to muster a fully ashamed expression, a nanny came in leading guests. Upon seeing the arriving guests, Old Lady Pei and Madam Tian stood up to greet them.

Ye Xinyan also stood up accordingly and stepped back to Madam Yin’s side.

The visitors she recognized, were the wife of the Cabinet Prime Minister Han, Old Lady Li, her eldest daughter-in-law Madam Jiang, and her granddaughter Han Yufang.

Everyone exchanged greetings and courtesies, took their seats, and after tea was served, Old Lady Li turned to Madam Yin and Ye Xinyan and smilingly asked Madam Yin, "The Elder Master Ye has many rules; it’s already the eighth day of the first month of the lunar year, and I am just now seeing someone from Duke An’s Mansion. Why has Elder Master Ye made such a rare exception to allow the wife of the heir apparent to attend this feast?"

Madam Yin quickly leaned forward with a smile and said, "You’re right, Old Lady. I am accompanying Ah Yan, otherwise, I would still be cautiously refraining from going out."

Old Lady Li praised Ye Xinyan once more, saying, "This child has indeed suffered in the past two years, but it was worth it. I heard from my husband that Miss Ye of the Ye Family is very capable now, even surpassing men in her abilities."

Madam Yin was repeatedly modest, and Ye Xinyan also rose once again to curtsy and thank Old Lady Li. Unexpectedly, Han Yufang, who was seated below Madam Jiang, said coldly, "Miss Ye has always been unrestrained in her actions in the past, I thought that was the limit, but Miss Ye always manages to surprise us. Now she has even been mingling with lower-class men, truly unexpected."

Ye Xinyan had just thanked Old Lady Li when she was confronted by Old Lady Li’s granddaughter, caught completely off guard. She glanced at Han Yufang, seated herself composedly in her original place, and acted as if Han Yufang hadn’t even spoken.

Madam Yin looked at her with slight concern, but seeing that she was indeed keeping her composure, she felt much relieved. Then she turned to Madam Jiang with a smile and said, "I had not noticed before, but it turns out your daughter is quite straightforward."

Madam Jiang’s face flushed with embarrassment, first she glared sternly at Han Yufang, then turned to Madam Yin with an apologetic smile and said, "I’m really sorry to the wife of the heir apparent and Miss Ye. This child has been spoiled, and she has been very rude to you and Miss Ye. Please overlook her rudeness on account of my humble plea."

Ye Xinyan gave Madam Jiang a sidelong glance, before she could figure out why Han Yufang had targeted her like this, she wasn’t planning on taking this young lady’s comments to heart. But why should it be based on your face? Do you hold that much esteem?

When Madam Jiang caught that glance from Ye Xinyan, her heart skipped a beat. Ye Xinyan’s notoriety had started ever since she could walk and talk, what nonsense was her Yufang causing, provoking this fierce woman? If this unruly girl truly lost her temper, wouldn’t Yufang unfairly suffer? Could she expect her husband to browbeat Duke An, that old fox?

"Apologize to Sister of Ye Family," Madam Jiang whispered, giving Han Yufang a cold command.

For some unknown reason, Han Yufang stubbornly met her mother’s gaze and, refusing to relent, turned her head away and stayed firmly put.

Madam Jiang was so angered by the child that she found herself momentarily speechless. Although the child could sometimes be a bit willful, she was definitely not one who lacked understanding. Such behavior in this setting was truly out of the ordinary.

Ye Xinyan also felt that Han Yufang’s behavior was out of the ordinary. If she remembered correctly, Han Yufang was four years her junior, probably sixteen this year, and not of the same age group. They had rarely interacted before, and with her absence for two years, it was even less likely that they had developed any enmity.

So what was this all about?

Old Lady Pei, who was sitting with Old Lady Li, smiled and tried to smooth things over, "Children can be impulsive, and perhaps she blew some matter out of proportion and found it hard to let go." She then turned to Ye Xinyan and said, "Older Sister Ye is several years her senior, so how about you indulge Sister Fang this time and not take it to heart, would that be alright?"

"Of course, I shall heed Old Lady’s instruction," Ye Xinyan agreed very straightforwardly. This old lady spoke reasonably, and for her, a mere child, letting it slide this once indeed seemed trivial.

The key question was, what had gotten into Han Yufang? Could it be that she had grown close to Ye Xinyi over the past two years, hearing too many bad things about her? That shouldn’t be the case, for if Ye Xinyi was that close with the granddaughter of the current Grand Secretary, how smug would she have become? She wouldn’t have needed to tolerate any displeasure at her place the day before yesterday.

Ye Xinyan was utterly puzzled and looked towards Madam Yin. Madam Yin patted her hand, signaling her to stay calm. Ye Xinyan withdrew her gaze, understanding that her mother knew something, and since this was not the place to talk, they would have to discuss it later upon returning home.

The fact that Ye Xinyan agreed so readily surprised everyone in the hall. Could it be that the granddaughter of the Ye Family had actually changed her ways and learned to be magnanimous and accommodating?

All sorts of glances converged on Ye Xinyan, which only served to irritate Han Yufang even more, "Who needs her to give in?"

"Yufang!" Madam Jiang exclaimed. She had noticed something off with the girl that very morning, wondering why, of all times, she had to act up now, and thinking it had been a mistake to bring her out.

Princess Fu chuckled, "Yufang is just a child; she must be feeling stuffy sitting indoors for too long. There are some lanterns prepared by the craftsmen in our mansion for the first month of the lunar year, the fifteenth night, to be hung out for all to admire. Let’s take this chance and have a look now. Though they won’t shine as brightly as they would when the candles are lit at night, we can still get a good idea."

With that, she stood up, and addressing Madam Yin, said, "I will accompany the wife of the heir apparent for a walk." Then to Madam Tian, she remarked, "Big sister, please take Madam Jiang and Sister Fang for a look. Let the two older ladies rest and chat here for a while."

Madam Jiang promptly stood up, repeatedly thanking Madam Tian. Splitting up was a good idea, as it would allow her to talk to Sister Fang with fewer people around. With so many noblewomen watching, if Sister Fang behaved in a manner that was even less becoming than that of a young lady from Duke An’s Mansion, it would be utterly embarrassing.

The current dynasty emphasized sharing joy with the populace, and during the Lantern Festival, interested households would create various novel and ingenious lanterns to hang in a selected spot on the street for the public to enjoy. The lanterns Princess Fu mentioned were intended for this purpose.

Ye Xinyan had only a vague understanding of the impact of the Lantern Festival in this era, so when she saw the lanterns hanging everywhere in the Prince Mansion Garden, she was greatly amazed at the ancient craftsmen and artisans’ exquisite skills.

In this era, there was no neon glass or various mechanical devices; everything depended on the craftsmen’s skill with bamboo strips and colored paper to create a range of shapes. Without the aid of modern devices, the artisans’ ingenuity was pushed to the limit. The diversity of shapes and colors of the lanterns, which were true to life, goes without saying, but even the Rotating Lanterns, which were powered by the heat of candles, came in several varieties.

It must be said that the ancient nobility did know how to enjoy themselves and had great taste. The beauty and brilliance of the lanterns went without saying, but even the placement of each lantern was meticulously considered. Often, around a corner, one would find a dazzling lantern suspended under a tree or at the corner of a pavilion, creating a sense of anticipation as one walked by.