She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 505 - 503: Powerful Aura

Chapter 505: Chapter 503: Powerful Aura

Ye Xinyan had several proposals rejected, and she expressed that she had no other methods, her gaze towards Mr. Fang and the other two was now tinged with alienation, sipping her tea lightly with clear intent to see the guests out.

Mr. Fang hurriedly clapped his hands together in a polite gesture, "Please forgive me, Miss Ye; the matter is indeed difficult to handle."

Mr. Fang himself did not expect that this task would be so challenging. Initially, he thought that with only Miss Ye remaining in the Qi family, a woman, talented as she may be, would have areas where her insight fell short. Little did he know that Miss Ye, once set on something, would be so steadfast, showing no signs of yielding.

In His Highness Prince Fu’s plan, if the railway transport project could be successfully undertaken by his own people, he would have complete control over the officials and managers involved. Bringing Wong Qiao back would introduce an unpredictable factor into their otherwise solid operation.

Mr. Fang and the two minor officials, persistent, tried to probe indirectly once more. Still unable to find an opening, they could only take their leave for the time being. They said they would rethink Miss Ye’s proposals and come back in a couple of days to discuss further.

Although Ye Xinyan showed a distant demeanor, she was still very polite in expressing her apologies to Princess Fu and saw Mr. Fang and his two companions out of the guest room.

As the hosts and guests stepped out of the room, it was quite abrupt to see a person standing under the eaves of the East Wing Room, who swept his emotionless gaze over them.

Guan He exuded a remarkably strong aura. It was nearly the late Shen hour, a busy time; several servants and craftsmen were moving about, busy with their work in the courtyard, yet none could diminish Guan He’s presence.

Although he was standing still, he was very conspicuous.

Seeing Guan He like this, Ye Xinyan only felt that he was eye-catching and flamboyant, which made her look down on him. Despite Guan He somewhat dreading the suffocating atmosphere, she knew that even with Guan He suppressing his aura, no harm would come to him.

Not so for Mr. Fang. He recognized at a glance that this was the man who had accompanied Miss Ye back to the capital, the one who had allowed the Qi family’s three children and Grand Tutor Xing’s grandson and others to fight.

Although Guan He had only stayed in the capital for two months, he had become quite infamous, an underground kind of fame.

Whenever Miss Ye was in the capital, Guan He was almost always by her side as her bodyguard; his involvement in condoning a brawl involving the Qi family’s offspring caught the attention of many people and families. Prince Fu had even sent skilled individuals to test Guan He.

This testing was not about exchanging fists and kicks, but rather accidental brushes while walking, eating, or entering establishments, which only the individuals involved could discern as unusual. Yet, whether it was brushing past Guan He or the sweeping of sleeves during a walk, all these encounters left a profound impression on the guards of Prince Fu’s Mansion.

The most afflicted guard, pretending to turn suddenly, collided with Guan He and, afterwards, had to grit his teeth and return to the mansion with his peers. He lay in bed for three days and was jabbed with countless needles by the Imperial Physician before the blocked energy in his chest was released.

The consensus among the five guards from Prince Fu’s Mansion who had tested him was that Guan He was a martial arts master of the kind described in legends—"a man who can kill from ten steps away, leaving no trace over a thousand miles."

Mr. Fang believed that there were certainly others besides Prince Fu’s Mansion who had made such attempts.

So, seeing Guan He’s unemotional gaze sweep over, Mr. Fang felt a shiver in his heart. He forced a smile and clasped his hands in a bow to Guan He, "I am Fang Qingmou; you must be Righteous Guan, right? Truly a pleasure, a great pleasure indeed."

Guan He remained standing on the steps under the eaves of the East Wing Room, returning the greeting with clasped hands, and asked in an even tone, "It is a pleasure to meet you. May I ask what brings you here?"

Mr. Fang responded with a forced smile, "We are here by command of His Highness Prince Fu, to seek knowledge about engineering and construction from Miss Ye."

Guan He, with hands clasped behind his back, asked faintly, "I wonder if the people who have been lurking around in recent days, inquiring about the Qi family’s affairs, are your subordinates?"

It seemed that Miss Ye was unaware that he had sent people to ask around the neighboring villages about the Qi family. And yet, Guan He seemed to know exactly what was happening. Was he deliberately waiting here to warn him?

Mr. Fang’s face gradually turned rigid as he clasped his hands and said, "Righteous Guan jests." Then, turning to Ye Xinyan, he hurriedly took his leave and led two clerks to mount their horses and ride away swiftly.

Watching as the three men vanished into the distance, Ye Xinyan returned to the courtyard, stood still, and said to Guan He with a smile, "Big Brother Guan is quite something, scaring people away with such simple standing and questioning. If only you had done this when they first came in, it would have saved me a lot of time." Her tone carried a certain regret.

Guan He looked down, regarding Ye Xinyan with disdain and said contemptuously, "If they hadn’t even entered the door, how could you have gotten so much information out of them, and how could they have given up hope?"

"You’re right," Ye Xinyan nodded in agreement, moved forward a few steps, and also stood under the porch roof of the main house, reducing the difference in their eye levels, "Since you knew they were asking about the Qi family, why didn’t you give me a heads up?"

Guan He said indifferently, "They were just peddlers who heard that the Qi family of Clear Water Village had quite the reputation for benevolence and righteousness, hence their additional inquiries. Can I simply label people as villains based on that? My only concern is to ensure the safety of your family; why should I bother with the rest?"

Ye Xinyan gave him a covert roll of her eyes, "A heads-up would have prepared me, at least." How could someone be like this, as if a few extra words would kill him?

"I informed Yuanfan," Guan He dropped this sentence, turned around, entered his room, and casually shut the door behind him.

"Not likable at all!" Ye Xinyan glared fiercely at the door, returned to the workroom, and closed the door on Bi Ning and Song Ping’s household, leaving the two standing outside, looking at each other in confusion.

Jiang Yifan arrived the next day, and following his usual practice, first went to pay his respects to Madam Yin.

Madam Yin was somewhat worried about the people sent by Prince Fu’s Mansion, although Ye Xinyan had explained to her that there was nothing to worry about, they had only come to ask about construction matters, and since she and Wong Qiao could not be of help, they naturally left. Nonetheless, Madam Yin was still not entirely at ease, but with Jiang Yifan’s arrival, she spoke with him a little more, "Yuanfan, you are someone who has moved about in the imperial presence; tell me, why would people from Prince Fu’s Mansion come all this way here?"

Jiang Yifan, sitting in the chair below Madam Yin, said with a smile, "Xiao Ke has not yet seen Ah Yan, so I don’t know exactly what they discussed. But it is likely about construction and equipment matters. You may not be aware, but Ah Yan has some talent in managing construction projects and using equipment, which is why she has been able to get the railway carriage up and running in the capital. It’s only natural for the people from Prince Fu’s Mansion to make inquiries if they’re passing by."

"Is that so," Madam Yin was slightly reassured but still marveled at her daughter’s newfound expertise, "Ah Yan understands construction and equipment? Aren’t those men’s work? Can she handle it? If not, she shouldn’t force herself. I’ll have a word with her later."

Jiang Yifan laughed, "Madam need not worry. Ah Yan is quite competent, and there’s rarely anything she can’t achieve. If she sets her mind to something, chances are high that she’ll succeed. And isn’t there Wong Qiao? Wong Qiao is widely recognized as a highly gifted craftsman. Whatever tools Ah Yan thinks of, with Wong Qiao’s help, they can surely be made. Ah Yan enjoys these things, so let her be. If you ever think she’s getting tired, then advise her to rest more, but don’t hold her back for now."