She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 485 - 483: Taking the Kid Along

Chapter 485: Chapter 483: Taking the Kid Along

Duke An didn’t directly answer Ye Xinyan’s question but asked very seriously, "Tell your grandfather honestly, how long do you plan to stay in Yuyuan Prefecture this time?"

Huh? He hadn’t asked this before, so why is he asking now? What does it mean? Could there be changes?

"Why are you asking this?" Ye Xinyan asked.

Duke An said, "Before, with your mother in the capital, there was always a tie, so I wasn’t afraid that you wouldn’t return. This time, you’re taking your mother with you. If you don’t return, do you expect your grandfather to send someone to tie you up and bring you back?"

So that’s what it was about.

"No, sooner or later, I will always come back." She had indeed thought about not returning, but that was her initial thought. Being tied together with Jinrong on the same rope like a grasshopper, whether to return to the capital was no longer just her decision to make.

Duke An nodded and said, "That’s good, try to come back earlier. If you can bring Qi Family Construction Business with you and settle it in the capital, that would be even better. Maternal Aunt Zhao has been diagnosed as pregnant, and whether it’s a boy or a girl, your grandfather hopes you can put some heart into that child, just as you did with Brother Shun and Brother Jia, raising them to be responsible and courageous. At the very least, the child must not grow up to be as spineless as your father and those two half-brothers of yours."

Having enjoyed the honor of Duke An’s Mansion, Ye Xinyan understood that she had corresponding responsibilities. However, she wasn’t an educator and dared not promise to definitely raise the child well.

"Taking care of a child, naturally there’s no problem, but you have to understand, granddaughter is no teacher and can’t guarantee to raise your grandson well for sure. Qi Sanshun and Qi Jia are both children of good character; granddaughter has only kept them from doing bad things. In your presence, I can only promise to treat him well with all my heart and keep him from doing bad things; I really can’t make other promises."

"That’s your younger brother," Duke An reminded, "You don’t need to worry about that. The disposition of a child is very easy to guide, as long as the parents, and those close to them, are all of good character, the child won’t go far wrong."

Ye Xinyan glanced at Duke An. His son, who was also the father of the unborn child, was he of good character?

Seeing the glance from Ye Xinyan, Duke An smiled and said, "Your father doesn’t count, your grandfather will personally instruct my grandson. An outstanding elder sister and brother have a greater influence on their younger siblings than parents or elders. There’s no need for deliberate teaching; just daily influence by example will allow the child to learn. With your intelligence, your boldness, Brother Shun’s bravery, and Brother Jia’s astuteness and kindness, any child growing up with you can’t be bad."

This praise, Ye Xinyan even wondered whom Duke An was talking about—were she and Qi Sanshun and Qi Jia that excellent? She didn’t know?

"Grandfather, let’s not overpraise our own family. As long as it’s within my ability, I will certainly follow Grandfather’s instructions and take good care of the younger sibling."

"You’re about to leave the capital, and your grandfather has told you everything, so there’s no need for unsaid words and later having to guess," Duke An continued, "The future of your mother must also be considered. Maternal Aunt Zhao is sensible about advancing and retreating, and I will have your grandmother advise her not to covet what isn’t hers, not to scheme all her life and end up in the same plight as Maternal Aunt Liu."

"Learn from your mother," he said. "She devotes herself entirely to you, willing to endure any hardship and humiliation as long as you are well. If Maternal Aunt Zhao could focus solely on the good of her children, she should know that being close to your mother and you would make it easier for her children to inherit the title later on, and everyone would benefit in the end. As the biological mother of the Duke An’s heir, she naturally reaps benefits unlike those of an ordinary concubine."

"And if this child grows up close to you and your mother, your mother will be able to enjoy honor and comfort in her later years at Duke An’s Mansion," he added.

Ye Xinyan listened intently to Duke An’s words and had to admit that he had thought things through quite well and had been very thorough. Even though Old Master Ye Tang had his own agenda in this, having considered so much for Madam Yin, he had done quite well.

It’s just a pity that a phrase would become popular a thousand years later. How did it go? It seemed to say, "Dreams are rich, but reality is stark."

She could manage to treat Maternal Aunt Zhao’s children well, but as for the rest, it was difficult to say whether Madam Yin would enjoy honor and comfort at Duke An’s Mansion... that was truly hard to say. Madam Yin was not her; she had been a haughty child in the Duke’s Mansion, enjoying far more privileges than suffering. Could any honor possibly make up for the harm Madam Yin had suffered at Duke An’s Mansion and from Ye Hongyang?

However, she was aware of the kindness Duke An had shown her. "Grandfather, rest assured, your granddaughter thinks herself to be of decent character and knows how to treat children kindly. As long as they are good, your granddaughter will definitely do her best to treat them well," Ye Xinyan promised.

Duke An nodded, his voice heavy with emotion, "You’re a good child. It’s just a pity that you didn’t receive careful guidance when you were young. Grandfather has failed you and your mother greatly. In the future, you will have to help educate your younger siblings from the Ye Family, and I don’t even know if I’ll have the chance to make up for my failings." His face was etched with the signs of age.

"Grandfather, you are too hard on yourself. Do not take all the burdens onto your own shoulders," Ye Xinyan said sincerely.

One must remember that this was ancient times, where elders were highly esteemed. As the saying goes, "A son does not speak of his father’s faults." Duke An, with his illustrious status, was making an apology and self-reflection to his daughter-in-law and granddaughter, which was both rare and precious in this era.

His neglect of his son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter in the past might well have stemmed from the saying "Even a great man cannot avoid an unworthy wife and unfilial children." Facing such a son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, Duke An’s heart must have been powerless and broken, right? Hence, knowing that his granddaughter was capable and outstanding, he immediately saw hope and regained his spirits, as if grasping at a lifeline.

"Brother Jia and Brother Shun have also stayed in Prince Yu’s Mansion for quite a few days now; we shouldn’t keep troubling them. Seeing as we are about to set out on our journey, let’s bring them back a bit earlier. Grandfather hasn’t seen them for several days, and once they are back, I’ll take them out and about again to meet relatives and broaden their horizons," he said with a tinge of desolation and anticipation.

At that moment, Ye Xinyan sincerely hoped that Maternal Aunt Zhao could give birth to one or several distinguished boys to fulfill the old master’s wishes.

By the time they were truly returning, just the gifts received by Qi Sanshun and Qi Jiaer from Duke An, Marquis Zhongyong, and Yin Xiaocheng, while being taken out by the elders, filled two large chests, not to mention the swords, arrows, and clever gadgets they brought back from Prince Yu’s Mansion.

Compared to how Ye Xinyan returned to Duke An’s Mansion quietly at the end of last year, this time, her return to Yuyuan Prefecture was many times grander, even without Jinrong.

A small banquet was held in Duke An’s Mansion as a farewell for Madam Yin and Ye Xinyan. Additionally, gifts and notes were sent by Princess Fu, Old Lady Li, Old Lady Pei, and others. Even officials from the Ministry of Works, related to the railway project, had their families pay a visit to convey their respects and bid farewell.