She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 742 - 740

Chapter 742: 740

After the Emperor made such a fuss, the court officials had a hint of what was going on. Perhaps it was because Ye Xinyan was currently working on the railway project that the Emperor could not tolerate other ladies gossiping about her. Without solid proof, it seemed that Ye Xinyan had already risen above most young ladies of the capital. Even the princess consort would probably find it difficult to do anything to her.

It seemed that upon returning home, one really had to discipline their own children properly. Ye Xinyan was not someone they could afford to offend.

In their opinion, the Emperor reminding Duke An on the Imperial Court to let Ye Xinyan do her job well was shocking enough, but they didn’t expect there to be a follow-up.

After the court session ended, a few imperial eunuchs left the palace. It was said that they were heading to Duke An’s Mansion, and their purpose was to reprimand Miss Ye.

Even a reprimand was not something just anyone could receive. The expressions of the court officials became even more complex.

.......

Madam Yin wholeheartedly wanted her daughter to integrate into the circle of the capital’s noble ladies, and she had even called her back early. But she never expected this outcome.

Madam Yin was both furious and heartbroken. What was wrong with her own child that she was treated this way by others? Ah Yan and Yuanfan were absolutely right. Even if Ah Yan had been reckless in the past, how much harm could those actions have caused to a young lady?

But what about them? Sometimes, human tongues are the sharpest weapons that can kill, and the careless words they spoke could be lethal once passed around by others.

It was only because her daughter and future son-in-law were formidable enough that they forced those ladies’ patriarchs to promise to keep all those in the know silent. Even so, Madam Yin couldn’t guarantee that those malicious slanders wouldn’t spread out.

So, since returning home yesterday, Madam Yin had been gloomy and continuously comforting Ye Xinyan, fearing she might take it too hard.

Ye Xinyan, of course, would not take these things to heart. Those patriarchs were sharper than ghosts, and when it came to their family women’s reputations, regardless of how little Ye Xinyan cared for such things, they cherished their feathers dearly and definitely wouldn’t risk tarnishing their own names.

The next day, she went to the Guangsha Construction Firm as usual to check on the storefront. If nothing came up, she planned to return to the wooden railway construction site tomorrow to sort things out and come back with Qi Younian.

On the third day of the third month, it was the wedding day for Guan He and Zi Ning, and they, as Zi Ning’s family, would definitely come back to oversee the ceremony.

After the weather warmed up, Guangsha Construction received two small orders, one to refurbish a large estate and another to build two rooms for a different client. These two jobs were not big and were assigned to a craftsman brought from Clear Water Village and a local workshop head hired to lead workers there.

Ye Xinyan hadn’t been at Guangsha Construction for long when someone inquired whether Guangsha would take the order to renovate an estate. The visitor was a slightly portly middle-aged man who introduced himself as Steward Zhang, a steward from a local wealthy merchant family.

According to Steward Zhang, his employers were local merchants with an estate on the outskirts of the city with a very stiff and antiquated layout, and they wanted to rebuild on the existing foundation.

Steward Zhang clearly knew quite a bit about the Qi Family Construction Business and asked directly: if they were to transform the old estate, could they create a completely different style?

After hesitating for a moment, Steward Zhang still brought it up, "Similar to the approach your firm took with the renovation of Prince Yu’s Other Mansion in Yuyuan Prefecture."

Ye Xinyan looked at him, her eyes a bit bright. Prince Yu’s Other Mansion? That was a massive business deal.

Seeing the gleam in Ye Xinyan’s eyes, Steward Zhang felt somewhat embarrassed and hurriedly explained, "Of course, my family’s estate can’t compare to the Prince’s Side Courtyard, it’s only about fifteen acres. The layout of the estate isn’t good, but the location is indeed excellent. My master hopes to spend less and have it done well."

"Fifteen acres, huh?" Ye Xinyan thought for a moment. A small garden would be feasible; it all depended on the original layout of his estate.

"How is it?" Steward Zhang eagerly inquired. This was his master’s estate closest to the capital city. If it could be refurbished with a fresh look, it would save a lot of trouble. And if the renovation was exquisite enough, it would be a great place for his master to host banquets and gatherings on a daily basis.

"Sure, you need to give an overview of the layout of your estate so we can plan properly. Do you remember it clearly?" Ye Xinyan asked.

"Clearly, clearly, I am the one who manages that garden on a daily basis. I will tell you all about it right away," Steward Zhang hurriedly responded.

After taking on the task from his master, he had inquired around many places. When many workshop heads heard it was a renovation project and deemed the profit too small, they refused to take the job. Those smaller Water Wood Works couldn’t come up with any good suggestions and were only good for repairs.

It was in a teahouse nearby where he was resting that he overheard people talking about this construction business newly established in the capital, which had once renovated another mansion for His Highness Prince Yu, that he came to give it a try.

Ye Xinyan found Liu Hansong, a scholar and craftsman overseeing the shop, to discuss and sketch preliminary designs while listening to Steward Zhang, making sure to inquire about the size, layout, and style of the buildings in detail.

After making amendments and sketches, she asked Steward Zhang to confirm it again, and then copied it down anew.

Steward Zhang’s master’s household had renovated their mansion before, but such a method was still a first for him. Seeing the layout that closely matched the one in his mind, his expectations for this construction industry grew.

Once the sketch was completed, Ye Xinyan and Yuan Shang asked about his family’s requirements for the renovation of their estate, including whether they already had a preferred style in mind.

Just as he had given a rough idea, a servant from Duke An’s Mansion rushed over, saying someone from the palace had arrived and Ye Xinyan must return immediately to receive the royal decree.

Ye Xinyan was stunned upon hearing this. What was the situation? Aside from attending a banquet at General Huwei’s Mansion the day before, she had spent the last few days traveling only between home and shop without sparing a glance elsewhere. There was simply no opportunity for her to cause trouble.

If it concerned yesterday’s events, that was even less likely. The matters of the previous day, even if advocated by high court officials, were issues among the women of the backhouse. The palace, the Emperor... they surely wouldn’t have that much leisure, right?

Yuan Shang, however, was somewhat concerned. Although he didn’t know much about what transpired at the general’s mansion the previous day, he had some understanding of it.

Miss Ye was not facing just one family then, but several prominent court officials and noble families of the capital. Could it be that those people had complained to His Majesty at court today?

Ye Xinyan only found it curious but wasn’t particularly worried. She had a lot of confidence in Duke An, her grandfather, a loyal servant to the throne for two generations. Duke An, a solitary figure with no allies or factions, was seen as a prime example of a good servant of the Great Xia Dynasty.

She could not believe that the Emperor would disgrace Duke An over a slight indiscretion by his descendants.

Thus, she made sure to settle the ongoing tasks at hand and confirmed the many details for the renovation of the estate. She instructed Steward Zhang to come back the next day to review the renovation plans they would propose.

Then, without taking a carriage, she saddled a horse and hurried back to Duke An’s Mansion.

Watching the young married woman ride on horseback through the bustling streets and gallop off, Steward Zhang sighed while he quietly asked Yuan Shang, "Master Yuan, your lady boss is the young mistress of Duke An’s Mansion, isn’t she? Truly remarkable, receiving royal decrees and enjoying privileges that are not just afforded to any ordinary young mistress."