She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 598 - 596: All In

Chapter 598: Chapter 596: All In

Ye Xinyan’s gaze swept over Duke An and the Duchess, realizing that even the old Duke An knew that the greatest threat his grandson would face came from his own son. To have raised his son this way was indeed a failure.

Duke An had a good plan, to place Ye Yuan in the courtyard of his own mother, naturally nobody could reach in there, and at least Ye Yuan could grow up safely. The question was, why should Madam Yin go to the trouble of doing such a thing.

Ye Xinyan sneered and said, "Then you’ll have to ask Maternal Aunt Zhao, whether she wants her son or her husband."

It may seem a bit cruel to say this, as such a choice could make a young woman like Maternal Aunt Zhao live as a widow. It all depended on how open-minded Lady Zhao was. With that husband of hers, it wasn’t certain if she would receive more love, plus there was always a threat around her, a threat to her son’s life security.

The Duchess’s face looked a bit unsightly, even if their son had let them down, he was still their son. To be spoken about in such a manner, and by her granddaughter no less, she was quite uncomfortable.

Ye Xinyan went on, "Grandfather has plenty of people at his disposal, just assign someone reliable to follow Ye Yuan all the time. Actually, nurturing and such matters are easy to handle, with your guidance that’s sufficient. On a daily basis, if Qi Sanshun and Qi Jiaer, his two brothers, are around to play with him, as long as Maternal Aunt Zhao’s intentions are right, the child won’t go astray."

Duke An thought for a while, and although this outcome was far from his initial plan, it was still acceptable.

Human nature is the hardest to fathom, and even a child with a good disposition could not withstand the provocation of someone with intent. To have him live with his birth mother, with daily teachings led by him, the grandfather, and for playtime to be with the Qi family’s two children, even if someone tried to instigate trouble, they’d have nowhere to start.

"Alright, let me give it some thought," Duke An said, "Also, I’ve heard that the maid who has been looking after Brother Jia since he was small is not bad..."

Duke An’s words were not finished when Ye Xinyan interrupted him, "Grandfather, please don’t consider this. She specially came from Prince Yu’s Mansion, precisely because your granddaughter here is short-staffed. The girl has just handed over her Indenture Contract to your granddaughter, it wouldn’t be right to turn around and give her to you. You have so many people already, just find someone else, and at most find a couple of steady ones to learn from Zi Ning first."

Madam Yin glanced sideways at Ye Xinyan, this child was becoming increasingly unruly, to speak to her grandfather in such a way. At the very least, she should have waited for her grandfather to finish speaking before she protested, Madam Yin would need to speak sternly to her when they got home.

Nanny Huang, who was at the Duchess’s side, was also speechless. The young lady used to be quite brash, but at least she knew some manners in front of her elders. After spending a few years wandering outside and returning, the brashness was gone, but it seemed manners were now also hard to find.

But Duke An was not offended, and chuckled saying, "I was just asking casually, look at that stingy look of yours."

Ye Xinyan also felt that her attitude was somewhat arrogant and was rather embarrassed, "The main thing is Zi Ning is different from others. Qi Jiaer sees her as a sister. Besides Grandfather Qi, Nanny Jin, and myself, it is Zi Ning who shares the closest bond with him; I really can’t just make her serve someone else as a maid." After all, she was Guan He’s future wife, how could she be casually instructed?

...

Ye Xinyan rested in her room after lunch, and not long after she got up, a maid from Madam Yin’s courtyard came to invite her over, saying there was a matter that required her presence.

Ye Xinyan had just put down her teacup, and the sheets of paper on her writing desk had not yet been spread out, so she had to put them down and head to Madam Yin’s courtyard first.

Upon entering, she saw Maternal Aunt Zhao standing on the ground, full of trepidation, while Madam Yin sat on the couch with a somewhat impatient look.

Maternal Aunt Zhao, upon seeing Ye Xinyan, promptly paid her respects, with a belly full of words she wanted to say, but after glancing at Madam Yin, she dared not speak too much.

Ye Xinyan waved her hand dismissively at her, "No need for excessive formality." Then she asked, "Why don’t you sit down to talk?" Madam Yin shouldn’t be in the mood to put on airs in front of Ye Hongyang’s aunt and make her stand on purpose.

Maternal Aunt Zhao looked at Madam Yin, troubled, and said in a low voice, "The maid doesn’t dare."

Madam Yin then said coolly, "Originally, she was kneeling. I scolded her for a long time before she got up. You deal with the trouble you’ve caused." See, she had agreed to take care of someone else’s child, and now look what has happened.

Ye Xinyan blinked; was her mother really that impatient? She sat down with a cheery smile beside Madam Yin and asked Maternal Aunt Zhao, "I can see that Maternal Aunt Zhao is a smart person, so how did you manage to anger my mother?"

Ye Xinyan hadn’t even finished her question when Maternal Aunt Zhao, with a thump, knelt down again.

Madam Yin’s brows furrowed tightly, and as she looked on, she could no longer hold back. Ye Xinyan quickly said, "What are you kneeling for again? If you have something to say, say it standing up, don’t you see that the wife of the heir apparent is getting annoyed again?"

Maternal Aunt Zhao knocked her head on the ground but did not rise. Instead, she said hurriedly, "Wife of the heir apparent, Miss, the maid has no other intentions, only wanting to make my feelings clear to the wife of the heir apparent and Miss. The maid will rise after finishing what I have to say."

"Alright, go ahead," Ye Xinyan said, pressing her temple helplessly. It seemed she had to let Maternal Aunt Zhao finish.

Maternal Aunt Zhao knocked her head on the ground again before saying, "Originally, the Duchess had told the maid that Brother Yuan should be listed under the wife of the heir apparent’s name, and from then on, Brother Yuan would be the wife of the heir apparent’s son and have nothing to do with the maid."

Madam Yin’s expression turned dark, quite annoyed. They had assumed what they liked among themselves, but it made Maternal Aunt Zhao come to her. It was simply hateful.

Ye Xinyan, however, acted as if Maternal Aunt Zhao wasn’t always troublesome, nodded, and signaled for her to continue.

The maid said, feeling overjoyed upon hearing this. The maid’s status is low, and Brother Yuan is young, whereas the Eldest Son and Second Son are of age. If Brother Yuan could follow the wife of the heir apparent and Miss, that would be his blessing, as well as the maid’s fortune."

Madam Yin let out a cold laugh but said nothing. How could Maternal Aunt Zhao take it for granted? Why should she and Ye Hongyang raise a son for her, toil away with no benefits? If something goes wrong, needless to say, she would be the one seen as having vile intentions.

Knowing Madam Yin’s thoughts, Maternal Aunt Zhao continued, "The maid is selfish, thinking of her own interests. But in this world, which mother doesn’t think of her own child’s interests? Wife of the heir apparent, the maid’s selfishness only hopes for Brother Yuan’s wellbeing and means no scheming against the madam.

The maid begs the wife of the heir apparent to take in Brother Yuan; from then on, Brother Yuan is the wife of the heir apparent’s own child, no matter what happens in the future, the maid will never ask again. If not for fear of bad people causing trouble in the future, the maid would be willing to go to the ancestral temple or guard the ancient Buddha by lantern light, never seeing Brother Yuan again."

Madam Yin’s expression softened, with a faint hint of pity. In this world, only a mother could be so completely selfless for the sake of her child.

Ye Xinyan watched Maternal Aunt Zhao for a long time before saying, "Aren’t you afraid that your Brother Yuan, without the protection of his mother, might be mistreated and bullied?" Maternal Aunt Zhao was a clever woman, capable of thinking of her son’s interests, yet she was cold-hearted enough to be so utterly selfless.