She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 623 - 621 Informing

Chapter 623: Chapter 621 Informing

Ye Xinyan gestured for the coachman to put down the stool and watched as Ye Xinyi stepped onto the stool, boarded the carriage, and settled in.

She couldn’t be bothered to put on airs with Ye Xinyi and asked, "Did Second Miss stop my carriage on the street because she had urgent business? I have been quite busy these days, so if Second Miss has something to say, please speak up. Once we’re done, we can go our separate ways."

Ye Xinyi, already full of worry, felt an intense dislike upon facing the calm and composed Ye Xinyan.

Yet, in order to inquire about Maternal Aunt Liu, she had to force a smile and said, "Why has sister suddenly become so estranged from me? In the past, you always called me by my name. Sister, please call me Xinyi as before, so that it shows our sisterly closeness."

Ye Xinyan looked indifferently at Ye Xinyi until she became somewhat uncomfortable and then said, "Second Miss knows, I am a straightforward person, not as clever and intricate as Second Miss. I can’t engage in such outward pretenses. If Second Miss has something to say, please speak quickly. If not, please excuse yourself and do not delay my work."

Ye Xinyi’s expression stiffened, and she glanced at Song Ping’s Household members and Jiu Yue inside the carriage, thinking to herself, "Indeed, she is still a fool. In front of the servants, she doesn’t know how to moderate her words, nor does she know how to preserve the basic decency of appearance."

She then turned to Song Ping’s Household with a smile and said, "I want to talk to my sister about some personal matters. Great Aunt and this sister, please step aside for a moment."

Song Ping’s Household member sat quietly, eyes downcast, as if she hadn’t heard anyone speak to her, and didn’t even glance up at Ye Xinyan, waiting to see what Ye Xinyan would suggest.

Jiu Yue glared at Ye Xinyi with indignation. Such audacity from the Second Miss. They have been serving the eldest miss for so long and had never been treated this way. The eldest miss was still present! Even the wife of the heir apparent wouldn’t overstep the eldest miss to command them like this.

Ye Xinyan’s tone grew even cooler, saying ungraciously, "Second Miss, if you have something to say, say it. If it cannot be spoken openly in front of others, then there’s no need to talk. Please leave. I’m not like the Second Miss, idle all day long. I have plenty of things to do."

Ye Xinyi naturally could not just leave. She pursed her lips and said, "There’s nothing that can’t be said. It’s just that I heard about sister’s troubles and am worried for you. I wanted to ask how that issue has been resolved?"

Ye Xinyan replied indifferently, "Second Miss must be referring to the ruckus raised by Marquis Jingning’s Mansion, right? My grandparents don’t know about such a matter, and my mother also hasn’t received any word of it. It is entirely a malicious act and naturally doesn’t count for anything. Now, to prevent such incidents from happening again, my father, as the instigator, has already been stripped of his position as Duke’s Heir Apparent by my grandfather’s petition to the court."

Ye Xinyi knew of this outcome and was anxious not to hear a word about Maternal Aunt Liu, showing a look of consternation on her face.

After hesitating for a moment, she still didn’t directly inquire about Maternal Aunt Liu but instead said, "Sister, grandfather now values you, why don’t you plead on behalf of our father? With father deprived of his title as Ducal Heir, won’t our mother lose the status of a lady and become an ordinary woman? Even your position is awkward."

Ye Xinyan looked at Ye Xinyi with a smirk, enunciating each word slowly, "My mother comes from a distinguished family; even without the title of the wife of the heir apparent, she is still the Great Aunt of Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion. And besides ... even if Father had retained the title of the princely heir, the ones to strut around and take advantage would be Maternal Aunt Liu and your siblings, while my mother and I would suffer more.

If Father continued to be the Ducal Heir, and one day I was truly maliciously schemed against, that would not be merely awkward, but rather tragic. Now, with Father losing his title as Heir Apparent, his external influence naturally wanes, leaving him with far fewer opportunities to harm me. Therefore, with Father no longer the Ducal Heir, my mother and I are much more relieved. Thank you for your concern, Second Miss."

Ye Xinyan responded without a hint of disguise, causing Ye Xinyi to be taken aback. She quickly glanced at the two servants in the carriage and felt both annoyed and resentful. These ruthless mother and daughter, it was their husband and father who met with misfortune, and yet they were pleased! How could they feel happy about the distress of their closest kin?

Especially Ye Xinyan, she was the epitome of vulgarity and mindlessness. Even if their father did not favor them, as his daughter, she should not have voiced such thoughts.

Ye Xinyi, filled with resentment, resolved to recount what Ye Xinyan had just said to their grandfather, to let him know that Ye Xinyan was a vicious person devoid of familial affection, utterly unworthy of his favor and trust.

However, the pressing matter at hand was to gather a clear understanding of the situation in the mansion before seeing her grandfather, so she would be well-prepared.

She asked impatiently, "May I know how my Maternal Aunt Liu is now?"

"Maternal Aunt Liu," Ye Xinyan shifted her body to sit more comfortably, before slowly answering, "Maternal Aunt Liu is now faring very well, settled peacefully in the Buddhist hall at the back of the house. She no longer needs to suffer as a scapegoat and bear the consequences on behalf of our father for his mistakes. The Second Miss can rest assured."

"Buddhist... Buddhst hall?" Ye Xinyi felt as if struck by lightning, frozen on the spot. In her memory, the Buddhist hall in the back of Duke An’s Mansion had never been occupied. It was a place for punishing the mistresses of the house. There were few eligible to reflect there, and in her memory, none had ever actually gone.

It took a good while before Ye Xinyi could muster the words, her lips trembling, "May I know how long my Maternal Aunt will stay in the Buddhist hall?"

Duke An had been so angry that he had ruined his son’s future; the punishment for Maternal Aunt Liu would naturally be much harsher. She hoped that the period of reflection in the Buddhist hall for Maternal Aunt Liu would be three months, or half a year, or even three to five years would be fine, as long as there was a time limit.

No, not three to five years. Given Maternal Aunt Liu’s current age, after being confined and worn down for five years, she would emerge having completely lost her youthful beauty. Who knew whether her father would still be invested in Maternal Aunt Liu.

If Maternal Aunt Liu lost her absolute influence over her father, the future of her two younger brothers would be worrisome. And she herself could only rely on being a daughter of Duke An’s Mansion, receiving no grand reception upon returning to her maternal home, her identity as the concubine-born daughter becoming glaringly evident. Nor would she have the financial support and superior environment she once enjoyed, one that was even better than that of legitimate daughters from other homes.

But the answer Ye Xinyan gave her was one of despair, "There is no time limit, no, it’s not right to say there isn’t a limit; when your Maternal Aunt’s life reaches its end, she will naturally be able to leave. Grandfather ordered that Maternal Aunt Liu be confined in the Buddhist hall for life and upon the deaths of grandfather and grandmother, she is to commit suicide immediately."

Ye Xinyan’s tone remained calm, yet to Ye Xinyi’s ears, it sounded unusually cold and grim.

They were doomed! Ye Xinyi’s vision went dark all of a sudden, and she nearly collapsed inside the carriage.

Jiu Yue, with quick reflexes and great reluctance, supported her, preventing her from falling toward the young lady and at the same time, pushed her further away from her own young lady.

As Jiu Yue withdrew her arm, she felt disdain. Although she hadn’t been back long, she had heard that this Second Miss was a typical lady of noble upbringing, with exceptional poise and grace. Yet today, it seemed she had no capacity to withstand adversity. None of that compared to the fortitude of her own young lady, who was truly composed and distinguished.