She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 507 - 505 Meeting by Invitation

Chapter 507: Chapter 505 Meeting by Invitation

Hearing Jiang Yifan inquire about the last life, Ye Xinyan’s eyes filled with wariness. "What for?"

As if he hadn’t seen Ye Xinyan’s expression, Jiang Yifan continued, "If Ah Yan has seen it before, it’s good. As long as it once existed, it can definitely be made." Jiang Yifan didn’t even pause before he added, "From here, heading southwest, there’s a slope with a vast Peach Blossom Forest. The blossoms have been perfect these past couple of days. Shall I take you to see them tomorrow?"

Ye Xinyan was momentarily unable to react. Wasn’t that change in topic too abrupt? Could conversation actually flow like this? Jiang Yifan had just been talking about utensils and then jumped straight to viewing peach blossoms. How could these two topics be related at all?

Ye Xinyan’s eyes shifted. To have such a vast Peach Blossom Forest here, could it be? She indeed had seen a few fruit trees sporadically, but never the kind of scene filled with blooming flowers. Keep in mind, this was ancient times, transportation was extremely inconvenient, and purchasing power was low. From any point of view, planting large tracts of fruit trees wasn’t cost-effective.

"No," Ye Xinyan came back to her senses and shot Jiang Yifan a cold look, "I’m very busy, I can’t even get through all the important work, let alone have the leisure to watch flowers and leaves. Isn’t Lord Jiang in a hurry to deliver a message to Sixth Master? Priorities matter more." So, you should leave sooner.

Yet Jiang Yifan didn’t move towards the exit following Ye Xinyan’s gesture. Instead, he stood his ground, "It’s precisely because we are extremely busy that we need to relax a bit. Perhaps walking outside and looking at the scenery will help clarify our thoughts."

Ye Xinyan stared at Jiang Yifan for a moment and then firmly shook her head, "I won’t go, and even if I went, with so many people here, there’s no need to accompany Lord Jiang. Please go back."

Although Ye Xinyan’s impolite words pushed him back, Jiang Yifan wasn’t annoyed, but smiled and said, "There are indeed many people here, but nobody knows the place. Moreover, the journey is long and if we don’t ride quickly, it will take a long time to go there and back." He had noticed the flicker of melancholy and longing in Ah Yan’s eyes just now. No girl doesn’t like to watch a tapestry of flourishing flowers.

"Then I cannot go all the more, I, a woman, going alone with Lord Jiang to a remote wilderness to see flowers, it would harm my reputation."

Jiang Yifan raised his eyebrows, watching Ye Xinyan, and didn’t move for a long while. It was rare for Ah Yan to mention something would harm her reputation. She seemed to have never really cared about such things, past or present. Reputation was never within her considerations.

Seeing that Jiang Yifan stubbornly wouldn’t leave, Ye Xinyan grew agitated. She walked a few steps forward, standing by the door, and said to Jiang Yifan, "I do indeed long for the Peach Blossom Forest that Lord Jiang mentioned, but I will not join you on the same ride there. The last time was a special case. To do it over and over would be improper, prone to leading others astray in their thoughts."

Jiang Yifan was silent for a moment, then looked up and said, "I wanted to ask about things from Ah Yan’s last life, but with so many people around, it is difficult to talk. A place with more open space is needed to converse without being overheard."

It was that matter again.

Ye Xinyan also fell silent for a moment, frowning and asking, "What do you want to know?"

"A lot. Whether there were tracks everywhere, what kind of tools and machinery they had, how the territories were divided. Also, what you all would eat, what you used in daily life, and what the court’s administration was like... many things." Jiang Yifan’s voice was even lower.

Ye Xinyan shook her head, "Forget the peach blossoms. Going out alone as an unmarried man and woman doesn’t reflect well on either Lord Jiang or me. As for the things you want to know, I’ll find time to tell you."

Jiang Yifan knew her secret, and she felt she owed him an explanation. For Jiang Yifan to accept such a shocking revelation, and for over a year no less, without pestering her for details or disclosing it, was commendable. She thought she could share with him the answers to the questions he had raised. Perhaps telling him would satisfy his curiosity and dispel the mystery of her previous life in his eyes.

"Thank you," Jiang Yifan nodded, then added with a hint of regret, "But really, that’s quite a large peach orchard. In this region, such extensive wild peach orchards are rare. Are you sure you don’t want to take a look?"

"If you think it’s inappropriate for just the two of us to go, we could arrange a carriage and invite the wife of the heir apparent and everyone from Wong Qiao to join as well. We could set off before dawn and return later. If we could spend two or three shichen in the Peach Blossom Forest, resting and enjoying the scenery, that would be nice."

Ye Xinyan thought about the predicament faced by Wong Qiao and the others in the past few days, and figured a change of scenery for them might be good, "I’ll ask my mother’s opinion before making a decision."

Jiang Yifan agreed cheerfully, "I will speak to the wife of the heir apparent."

Ye Xinyan’s expression darkened, "Why should you go talk to my mother?" Considering Madam Yin’s current unpredictable state, she would probably consent to Jiang Yifan taking her out to see the flowers as soon as he asked.

Ye Xinyan left with a cold face, not caring whether Jiang Yifan planned to leave or not, and said to Jiu Yue and the folks from Anshun’s Household without giving face, "Do not take Lord Jiang to see my mother." She even threw a glare back at Jiang Yifan before heading toward the workshop.

Jiang Yifan, from the open doorway, gave a smile to Anshun’s Household and Jiu Yue and touched his nose. Alright, he was getting a bit impatient.

The blooming period for peach and apricot flowers was brief, so Ye Xinyan sought Madam Yin’s opinion before lunchtime. Madam Yin readily agreed. Going out for a walk was a good idea, especially with Jiang Yifan leading them. It’d be easy, as Ah Yan had said, for Madam Yin to gain favor in her daughter’s eyes.

Wong Qiao’s trial manufacture was in a difficult phase, without progress for several days, almost leading him to wonder if his overconfidence in front of the visitors from Prince Fu’s Mansion had somehow jinxed him.

Therefore, when Ye Xinyan mentioned going out to look at flowers, Wong Qiao was initially stunned, but quickly consented. Better to take a break than to waste time aimlessly.

Hence, Ye Xinyan and Jiang Yifan spent a day sorting out miscellaneous affairs and set off early on the third day to the Peach Blossom Forest that Jiang Yifan had mentioned.

Riding a horse with Qi Jiaer in his arms, Jiang Yifan traveled alongside the carriage of Madam Yin and Ye Xinyan. His two servants led the way. Guan He, with two guards, and Qi Sanshun, riding a small horse, followed behind the procession.

It was pitch dark at the moment, and Guan He, bored, dozed off on horseback, inwardly grumbling about his junior disciple. He should pursue his wife by himself instead of involving so many others.

This group, using almost all the horses from the Qi family and two businesses, had several craftsmen crammed onto two flatbed carts. Some were snoozing, others softly chatting and sounding quite excited. Going out to enjoy nature, this was a benefit from their masters, a very good thing indeed.

There were also two other carriages carrying food, tents, and other items as the party moved southwestward under the pre-dawn stars. Those in the know understood that these people were going to view the blossoms. To the uninformed, it appeared as though they were hurrying through the night, suggesting some urgent matter at hand.