She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 691 - 689 More Important than the Princess Consort

Chapter 691: Chapter 689 More Important than the Princess Consort

What irked Han Yanhui wasn’t just the need to compensate Ye Xinyan with a large sum of silver, he was even more infuriated that his own granddaughter, well-behaved as she was, would provoke that untouchable woman.

Yes, untouchable and beyond reproach. Not only did Ye Xinyan possess that unreasonable combat prowess from the past, but she also acquired a shrewdness and cunning she hadn’t had before. As a result, his dearly nurtured granddaughter, acting without thinking, actually dared to mess with such a person.

Now, this would practically peel a layer of skin off the Han Mansion.

Before long, the houseguards called Ah Er and Ah San came in limping, bearing pained expressions, and recounted the whole story of the young lady’s visit to the City God Temple.

Han Yanhui waved his hand, dismissed Ah Er and Ah San, picked up the list, and headed to the inner courtyards.

It was still early in the day, with some time left before dinner, when Old Lady Li, Han Yanhui’s wife, was surprised to see him back so early in the inner courtyards—there must be trouble.

Indeed, Han Yanhui first instructed Old Lady Li’s maidservants to summon his daughter-in-law and granddaughter. Then he sat down on the kang bed across the kang table from Old Lady Li.

Old Lady Li casually picked up the list Han Yanhui had placed on the kang table and after glancing it over, she couldn’t help but gasp, "Whose list is this? If we calculate according to this list, it’ll amount to no small sum of silver. How did this end up in your hand?"

Han Yanhui lowered his eyes, blew away the tea leaves floating on the surface of the tea in his bowl, took a sip, and then slowly said, "That precious granddaughter of yours has provoked Duke An’s granddaughter Ye Xinyan. This is the compensation bill they’ve sent over. They say it was lost when she scuffled with our servants."

Old Lady Li glanced at the list again, her expression a mix of laughter and tears, "A fight is not a one-handed clap, and even if there was damage, it should be a matter for both households. How can all the blame be placed on our mansion? This, this," she shook the paper, continuing, "Would their child go to the bustling City God Temple wearing so many valuables? And what could our Yufang have possibly done to cause so much damage to her belongings?"

Han Yanhui was just as helpless, "You know what Duke’s Mansion’s granddaughter is like. Who told our child to provoke her?"

Han Yanhui paused, his calm demeanor showing a hint of distress, "It’s several thousand taels of silver. At first, that demon girl exchanged a few words with Yufang and was about to leave it at that. But Yufang couldn’t contain her temper and yelled at her from behind, which led to this bill. Wait till your precious granddaughter arrives, and you can ask her yourself."

When Han Yufang heard it was her grandfather summoning her and that her mother was also called, her face immediately turned glum.

That detestable woman, she had actually complained to grandfather. Could it be that she truly wrote a compensation bill?

At this thought, Han Yufang grew agitated. That shameless woman had carelessly spoken about her, and she hadn’t even bothered to refute it. Was she now really trying to use non-existent items to swindle the Prime Minister’s Mansion? Did she dare to extort the Prime Minister’s Mansion?

Yet, despite her anger, facing her grandfather felt formidable. He had gone to great lengths for her enduring affection for Prince Yu, even attaining His Majesty’s decree. Adding this kind of trouble for her grandfather now truly made her uneasy.

With trepidation in her heart, Han Yufang slowly made her way to Old Lady Li’s chamber, accompanied by her maidservant. By this time, Han Yufang’s mother, Madam Jiang, the principal wife of Han Mansion, had already arrived and was sitting down beside Old Lady Li, engaging in sporadic conversation.

Upon entering, Han Yufang first performed the proper courtesies, and Old Lady Li, glancing at Han Yanhui, called Han Yufang to sit beside her.

Han Yanhui waved his hand, ordering all the maidservants and old woman servants out of the room.

Han Yufang watched as the servants left one by one, shutting the door behind them, her heart sinking further.

Han Yanhui passed the list in his hand to Madam Jiang.

Madam Jiang looked suspiciously at her in-laws, then at Han Yufang. Thinking back to her daughter’s spirited departure earlier in the day, she had assumed that the girl would be out until late, but unexpectedly, she returned early, complaining that this year’s temple fair was uninteresting.

At that moment, Madam Jiang didn’t think too much of it, but now it seemed there must have been a reason for her daughter to come back early. She should have asked the old woman servant who accompanied her for details, rather than making wild guesses now.

She looked over the list again, her suspicions growing as she turned to her in-laws. Was this a compensation bill? Had her daughter caused some trouble?

Han Yanhui said, "Let Yufang take a look at it."

Han Yufang only glanced at it before jumping up in alarm, "Ye Xinyan is extorting us. Aside from those three neck collars, everything else here is fabricated. Out of her family’s three children, one is a servant. Even if her family is wealthy and kind-hearted, would they let a servant wear a Jade Pendant to the temple fair? Ye Xinyan is truly shameless."

Madam Jiang immediately understood that her daughter had found trouble with Miss Ye once again. After the incident in Prince Fu’s Mansion, where her daughter targeted Ye Xinyan, Madam Jiang had already warned her once, but it seemed her daughter hadn’t taken it to heart at all.

After Han Yufang finished speaking, Han Yanhui asked indifferently, "Did she provoke you without cause, looking for trouble?"

Han Yufang’s expression fell, and she remained silent, looking down.

Han Yanhui continued to ask, "You always have complaints against Miss Ye and look down on her character. If that’s the case, why would you go out of your way to approach her?"

Han Yufang’s face turned red, and though she opened her mouth, she said nothing.

Seeing her granddaughter pitiable, Old Lady Li interjected, "Yufang is young, and speaking out against things she finds disagreeable is unavoidable. She will remember not to make the same mistake in the future."

Han Yanhui glanced at Old Lady Li and Madam Jiang, speaking calmly, "Let me tell you solemnly today, for His Highness Prince Yu, the women of the Ye Family are more important than his Principal Wife. They are even more significant than both his Principal Wife and Concubines combined."

"Grandfather!" Han Yufang exclaimed.

Her grandfather’s words immediately brought to mind the upsetting matter. She had been devoted to Prince Yu for so long that nearly the whole capital knew of her feelings toward him. With great effort from her grandfather, she could enter Prince Yu’s Mansion, but at the same time, two Concubines also entered.

This had already been deeply frustrating for her, but now her grandfather had spoken such words in front of her. She, a proper lady of the Han Mansion and the Legitimate Granddaughter of the Grand Secretary, was spoken of in such a demeaning way by her own grandfather!

Madam Jiang also disagreed with Han Yanhui’s words. Her daughter might be somewhat willful, but surely that didn’t warrant belittling her to such an extent. However, as a daughter-in-law, she naturally didn’t dare to contradict her father-in-law.

Old Lady Li frowned, "How can old master speak about his granddaughter in such a way? Even if Ye Xinyan is Duke An’s Legitimate Granddaughter and able to do some things, she can’t compare to the royal family’s daughter-in-law."

Han Yufang also teared up, "Grandfather, I refuse to believe what you say. Even if Ye Xinyan has no shame, His Highness Prince Yu is a gentleman. He would never harbor such improper thoughts toward such a woman."

"Be quiet! Are those words befitting of a young lady to say?" This time, Madam Jiang reprimanded her daughter in a low voice.

With a stern expression, Han Yanhui said more seriously, "Do not use a woman’s sentimental thoughts to speculate on Prince Yu and Ye Xinyan. Ye Xinyan is a significant asset to Prince Yu, while the princess consort and Concubines are merely women. Without Yufang, he could marry another and she would just as well be his princess consort. However, without Ye Xinyan, the properties in the hands of His Highness would probably not realize even a tenth or a twentieth of their current potential."