She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 733 - 731 Under the Bright Appearance

Chapter 733: Chapter 731 Under the Bright Appearance

Indeed, as General Shi and His Highness Prince Yu and others settled in the drawing-room, a sharp-tongued little maid repeated Grandma Wang’s message from the backyard, and Jiang Yifan’s expression immediately turned solemn.

He rose to his feet, bowed deeply to Shi Zongyi, and said with a heavy tone, "General, this matter, you must help this official and my fiancée obtain justice. Our future life entirely depends on you. If a word of today’s incident were to leak, my fiancée would only have death as her path, and I, myself, would have no face to live in this world."

Shi Zongyi instantly stiffened. Jiang Yifan and his wife’s future depended on him? He couldn’t be that important, could he?

Jinrong, Lian Gui, and Zhao Gang immediately averted their gazes, unable to bear witnessing the honest reaction of Shi Zongyi.

......

The ladies and old ladies in the backyard were actually reluctant to meet with men from outside, but there was no way to communicate with the women of the Ye Family, especially the two fierce guards at the Second Gate and the back door. It seemed that without Xinyan’s consent, the Second Gate wouldn’t open.

According to Madam Liu’s explanation, aside from bloodshed on the spot, there was no other solution. Mainly because the two formidable guards were led by the protectors of Duke An’s Mansion, and it was clear that Miss Ye was determined to drag down women from other families at all costs.

The female relatives in the backyard had no choice but to place their hopes on that Imperial Top Scholar from years past, the young man named Jiang, who had delved into the court, should know what’s important.

Including Old Lady Li from the Han Mansion and Old Madam Pei, the Deputy to the Cabinet Minister from the Liu Mansion, several old ladies sat with gloomy faces in the main seats of the spacious main hall at the back of General’s Mansion.

The rest, such as Madam Liu, Madam Jiang, and Madam Yin, sat in seats on the right side towards the bottom. Both Madam Yin and her sister-in-law Madam Sun, although sitting on the same side as the other ladies, distinctly kept a slight distance from the rest, both with troubled expressions.

Madam Sun was filled with bitterness. Her nephew’s wife naturally had a knack for attracting trouble. According to those present, today’s matter was indeed not her niece-in-law’s fault, yet trouble always seemed to find her, which made her feel extremely helpless.

On the left side of the main hall sat Jiang Yifan and Zhao Gang, with Lian Gui standing a little further down from the two. The three of them had already met Xinyan and had a brief communication.

Given Jinrong’s special status, he did not come to the backyard hall with Jiang Yifan and Zhao Gang.

As Prince Yu, his presence here was only to support General Shi, to prevent some powerful families from causing trouble for the host of this Spring Reception. As for which side in the backyard could gain the upper hand, it was not his concern.

That cunning woman Xinyan would not have made such a fuss unless she was in the right; he admitted it was beyond his control.

And as for the female relatives in the backyard, letting them suffer a bit wouldn’t be a bad thing. This time, Xinyan was formally returning home and wouldn’t leave again.

Her behavior from two years ago and this return clearly set her apart from the capital’s noble ladies.

Now, whenever these noble ladies spoke of Xinyan, they would dare say anything at all. If they didn’t suppress this arrogance, Ye Zi’s reputation might become even worse than before, and that was not the outcome he wished to see.

Today, all the young ladies and newlywed women who attended the Spring Welcoming Party stayed in the side hall and did not show themselves.

Old Lady Li stared at Jiang Yifan for a long while before speaking, "Lord Jiang is one of the rare young talents of the Great Xia Dynasty, so I assume you understand the gravity of certain matters. The female members of the Ye Family indeed suffered some injustices today, but if you insist that the heads of the capital’s elite families give assurances to a young woman, that is taking it too far."

Jiang Yifan’s expression remained unchanged as he bowed slightly and said, "Xiao Ke does not understand your meaning, Madam. Xiao Ke’s ancestral home is not in the capital, and I have always believed that the ladies of the capital’s boudoirs are the most cultured in all of Great Xia. However, today I was shocked to hear such filthy and obscene language come from the mouths of the capital’s ladies, including those barely women... It truly astonishes me. It seems to me that this is what you should be worried about."

The expressions of the female relatives present were varied; the ladies of the capital have always been the envy of powerful and wealthy families everywhere. Yet Jiang Yifan’s remarks had just positioned their granddaughters, daughters, and daughters-in-law in such a light, and they were left without any power to refute him.

The granddaughter of Liu Chengzhi, the Deputy to the Cabinet Minister, was also in the side hall today and had voiced her opinion slightly, although she had not said anything substantially harmful. Nonetheless, she had truly stirred up a hornet’s nest.

Old Lady Pei coldly took over the conversation, "Lord Jiang is truly well-versed in literature and poetry. Your words are well-spoken. This old lady thanks Lord Jiang for the reminder, and is willing to accept your suggestion. When we return to our respective mansions, we will certainly discipline our younger generations strictly; you should accompany Miss Ye as you return to her home as well."

Madam Yin moved slightly as if she was about to speak when she heard Old Lady Pei make such a light and easy-going comment, but she was held back by Madam Sun, who gestured for her to wait a moment longer.

Jiang Yifan chuckled softly to himself, "So many women used language so vile and obscene that even market scoundrels would balk at it to slander Ah Yan, yet you Madam, can speak of it so casually and leisurely. It truly broadens my horizons."

A twitch ran through Old Lady Pei’s frown lines, and her face turned cold. Did this junior not realize to whom he was speaking? Everyone in this room belonged to a family of high position and great power. For the sake of a divorced woman with a tarnished reputation, was he willing to sacrifice his own future?

Jiang Yifan truly was unafraid and continued, "The elder Madams who have lived through much must understand better than Xiao Ke that such words, if spread, can prove lethal to someone. To stop the rumors, it is the responsibility of those who started them. Ah Yan’s request for assurance from each family head is only to seek a way to live, and it is not unreasonable."

Old Lady Pei, displeased, said, "It’s only a matter of a divorced woman being mentioned a few times. If she had that much fiery spirit, she wouldn’t have survived until now. Now, she’s managed to get herself into a position of advantage, actually compelling the heads of noble families and court dignitaries to assure her. Is she, a woman like her, worthy of that?"

Jiang Yifan suddenly looked up with a cold laugh and said, "Is it truly just a few mentions? The former Miss Ye of the Ye Family had such a poor reputation, but that was only due to conflicts with people; she caused no further harm to any woman. Yet, the ladies of the capital managed to spread such a despicable and immoral image of her. Now, the young ladies might seem gentle and did not resort to violence, but those venomous tongues are meant to destroy someone’s life, their malice chilling to the bone."

Many people present displayed their disdain with drooping eyelids, seemingly unmoved as mountains.

Jiang Yifan swept his gaze over everyone present and said coldly, "Ladies and gentlemen, do we not have mouths ourselves? We certainly will not make careless accusations like some of the younger ladies have, but merely spread the actions of the ladies from each mansion far and wide. Let us allow the poor citizens of our Great Xia Dynasty to judge for themselves as well, to see beneath the beautiful facades of highborn ladies the filth that truly lies beneath."

"You!"

Only then did the colors drain from the faces of the female relatives. This bastard dared to speak such words, slandering the ladies of powerful and noble families – he deserved to die!

Yet, if he truly were to make today’s events known to all, and if compared to the previous actions of Ye Xinyan, the previously dishonored Miss Ye of the Ye Family might indeed be considered upright and guileless.

And their own girls, in contrast, might well be considered vicious in thought, their speech filled with filth and obscene thoughts, their behavior even worse than that of common street harpies.