Chapter 96: Ye San

After Jiang Li, Tong’er, and Bai Xue finished their visit to the Xihua Pavilion, the day had already grown late. Choosing not to wander any further or stop by the Lizheng Hall, they returned directly to the Ye residence.

No one among the Ye family servants dared to restrict her movements, which made her outings quite convenient. However, upon returning, Jiang Li specifically had Tong’er inquire about Ye Jia’er, only to learn that she had not yet returned.

Ye Jia’er had been at the Lizheng Hall since Jiang Li left that afternoon. Even if the business were purely transactional, she should have returned by evening. Given her absence, Jiang Li guessed it had something to do with the "Uncle Zhuang" and "Uncle Zhao" that Ye Jia’er had mentioned earlier; it seemed the trouble facing the Ye family's business was not insignificant.

Yet, even if she were to ask the Ye family members, they would not speak the truth to her. After all, they had not yet "reconciled their past differences," and there was no need to disclose household matters to a guest with whom they were not yet well-acquainted.

It was not yet the time.

Jiang Li stopped dwelling on Ye Jia’er’s affairs. Having seen Qiongzhi today had brought her a sense of closure, and her heart felt much lighter. That evening, for the first time in a long while, she felt drowsy early and went to bed to rest.

She had a good night's dream.

From that day on, the Ye family became uncharacteristically busy. Over the next few days, whenever Jiang Li walked through the Ye residence, she only encountered stewards and maids. Not to mention Ye Mingxuan and Ye Minghui, even Madame Zhuo and Madame Guan were absent. Ye Rufeng and Ye Jia’er were nowhere to be found, and sometimes there was no one present even at mealtime. The steward simply set up a small kitchen for Jiang Li, so she no longer needed to go to the front hall to eat, dining instead in her own courtyard.

It was not that the Ye family disliked her; it was simply that they were too busy to eat at home. If one were unaware of the situation at the Lizheng Hall, one might suspect that this massive estate had no masters left in residence.

Jiang Li faintly sensed that the Ye family's trouble was not trivial, but with everyone missing, her attempts to inquire were in vain. When she sent Tong’er to ask, the maids of the Ye household were equally clueless, leaving Jiang Li feeling deeply helpless.

One day, the weather was fine.

It was late autumn, approaching early winter. Being in the south, Xiangyang was warmer than Yanjing, and winter arrived later. Wearing an outer coat, Jiang Li stood in the courtyard, watching Tong’er and Bai Xue braiding knots.

The two maids had become somewhat idle in the Ye household. After all, it was not their own home, and they had no interest in tending to the flowers or plants. On days when their chores were finished early, they had nothing to do; Jiang Li taught them to read to pass the time.

Tong’er let out a yawn and said, "There’s hardly anyone in the Ye residence again today."

It wasn't exactly true that there was no one; the Ye residence was full of people, but they were all servants who knew nothing when asked about the family, to the point where Tong’er had lost all interest in making conversation.

"Isn’t it good that no one is restricting you?" Jiang Li teased her. "You are finally free."

"It’s as if you think your maid enjoys running wild, Miss," Tong’er pouted. "I am just feeling indignant for you. It’s one thing that the Ye family is never here, but they haven't even mentioned letting you visit the Old Madam. These servants are tight-lipped about her. We’ve been here so long, and you don’t even know which courtyard the Old Madam lives in."

It was true that the Ye family seemed to have no intention of letting Jiang Li see the Old Madam just yet, nor did they say when she might be permitted to do so. The wait felt endless. Jiang Li could have taken advantage of the family's absence to find the Old Madam herself, but doing so would only further damage their impression of her, making a reconciliation even more difficult.

Moreover, as the Ye family had stated, the Old Madam was in poor health. If she were to become overly agitated upon seeing Jiang Li, it would truly be Jiang Li’s fault should anything happen to her.

Therefore, Jiang Li did not actively touch that fragile string, preferring to remain "happily ignorant" for the time being.

She looked at the sky; the sun was bright. "Let’s go out for a walk," Jiang Li said.

Staying in the Ye residence all the time served no purpose; it was better to go out and see for herself.

Upon hearing this, Tong’er brightened up immediately, pulling Bai Xue to her feet. "Great! Where would you like to go, Miss?"

"Just walking around," Jiang Li said with a smile.

The group left the courtyard. The gatekeeper did not stop her, only asking if she needed guards, which Jiang Li politely declined. Just then, a caravan of horses and carriages suddenly stopped in front of the Ye residence.

It appeared to be a merchant group, as the horses were laden with bundles and heavy wooden crates were strapped to the back of the carriages.

Jiang Li paused slightly. Were these guests of the Ye family?

The caravan stopped, but there were no guards, only a coachman and a man who looked like an attendant. The attendant saw Jiang Li standing at the gate, looked her over with surprise, and then quickly walked toward the carriage. A man jumped down from the carriage.

The man had a finger-long scar on his left cheek and was dressed in a dark brown, tight-fitting martial outfit. Underneath his jacket, he seemed to be wearing a layer of soft armor. He looked like a common traveler or merchant, yet the boots he wore were deer-skin with gold embroidery—clearly very expensive.

Jiang Li was stunned. This man was the same one she had encountered at the back door of the Xihua Pavilion shortly after meeting Qiongzhi. At the time, he had looked at her several times, and Jiang Li had felt he looked familiar, yet he was truly a stranger.

She had not expected to meet him here.

When the gatekeeper saw the man, he immediately cast Jiang Li aside and hurried forward with delight. "Third Master! You’ve returned!"

Third Master Ye? This man was Ye Mingyu!

Jiang Li realized with a start that this was the "rascal" uncle of the Ye family, Ye Mingyu—the very same uncle born to her mother. No wonder she felt a sense of familiarity; it was the pull of blood, despite him being a stranger. She had never met Ye Mingyu, but they were connected to Ye Zhenzhen.

Ye Mingyu laughed as he greeted the gatekeeper, and it was then that he noticed Jiang Li. He froze, clearly recognizing her from their brief encounter at the Xihua Pavilion. Puzzled, he asked the gatekeeper, "Who is this young lady..."

The gatekeeper was extremely embarrassed. He coughed softly and said, "This is the cousin from Yanjing, Second Miss Jiang."

The attendant, who was struggling to carry things from the carriage, let his box slip, and it hit the ground with a loud thud.

Ye Mingyu was also struck dumb.

Second Miss Jiang—was this not the daughter of his twin sister? Ye Mingyu had always felt a lingering concern for this niece he had never met, and among the Ye family members, he was perhaps the one who still held some affection for her. When Ye Minghui and Ye Mingxuan went to fetch Jiang Li, Ye Mingyu was away on business. The eldest and second masters had heard Jiang Li’s hurtful words firsthand, but the third master had not. Thus, he did not harbor the same resentment as his brothers.

Furthermore, his life as a traveler had made him rough and bold, and his heart was more open than the others—simply put, he was laid-back and didn't think a young girl’s harsh words were worth holding against her. Had it not been for the Old Madam falling ill, he would have insisted on going to Yanjing to bring Jiang Li back himself, despite the family's objections.

Later, as Ye Mingyu spent more time at sea with his merchant fleet, returning only once a year, the idea of bringing Jiang Li back gradually faded.

Never did he expect to see his legendary niece here, right now. He almost suspected he was dreaming. Jiang Li was here? How could she be in Xiangyang? She was Jiang Yuanbai’s daughter, the legitimate daughter of the Chief Councilor—how could she endure the exhausting journey to Xiangyang? And how could the Ye family have let her through the door? Didn't they loathe her? Yet, looking at her, she seemed to be living quite well in the Ye house.

Damn it, what was all this chaos? Why hadn't Second Brother mentioned a single word about this in his letters? Was he dreaming?

***

Ye Mingyu had a thousand words stuck in his throat, yet he didn't know what to say. Seeing his reaction, Jiang Li smiled. "You must be Uncle Mingyu, right? I am Jiang Li."

Ye Mingyu finally snapped out of his daze. "Jiang... Ah Li, why are you here?"

"Uncle Mingxuan visited the Jiang family in Yanjing, and I returned to Xiangyang with him, hoping to see Grandmother," Jiang Li said, glancing behind Ye Mingyu. "Uncle Mingyu, you’ve just returned, but there’s hardly anyone in the Ye residence right now."

"Forget about them, they aren't important anyway," Ye Mingyu waved his hand. "Ah Li, let me put my things away and pay my respects to Mother first. Then you can tell me what’s going on."

Jiang Li paused. Ye Mingyu was quite straightforward, not treating himself as an outsider. That was fine; she had intended to use him as a breakthrough for the Ye family, but he had been away for so long that she hadn't known what kind of person he was. Now that she had met him, she found him even more unconventional than she had imagined, which was perfect.

There was no need to go out today. Jiang Li smiled, "Very well, I will wait for you in the front hall. However," she added with a smile, "I have yet to see Grandmother, and she doesn't know I’ve returned to the Ye house. When you see her, please don't mention me. I wouldn't want to agitate her and harm her health."

Ye Mingyu was stunned again. Jiang Li claimed she had returned to Xiangyang to see the Old Madam, yet she hadn't seen her, and the Old Madam didn't even know she was here? What were his Eldest and Second brothers playing at?

Ye Mingyu’s head felt like a bowl of mush. Unable to make sense of it, he agreed to Jiang Li’s request and went to attend to his business.

Jiang Li turned and walked toward the front hall.

"Miss, are we not going out anymore?" Tong’er asked.

"No," Jiang Li smiled. She had wanted to go out to find out what was happening in the Ye family, but since the Third Master had returned, she didn't need to leave. She could learn everything from him.

It seemed that the Third Master was an easy person to talk to.

...

Back in the front hall, Jiang Li sat at the table. Bai Xue brewed a pot of tea. Ye Mingyu hadn't arrived yet, but Jiang Li was not in a hurry; she waited patiently.

Her patience had always been excellent—a trait even the Ye family servants serving her had noticed. No matter how long she had to wait, her expression was always calm and gentle, without a trace of irritation. For a girl of her age, this was rare. She lacked the arrogance of a pampered noble daughter, appearing as approachable as a girl next door.

Yet, even as a girl next door, she was one whose heart no one else could truly enter.

After an unknown amount of time, Ye Mingyu finally returned.

Seeing Jiang Li, his eyes lit up, and he laughed heartily. "I thought you might have left. How about it, have you been waiting long?"

"Not long," Jiang Li smiled. "I haven't even finished a cup of tea."

Ye Mingyu sat down opposite her and immediately asked with impatience, "Ah Li, I just returned from outside and don't know what happened. Why did you suddenly return to Xiangyang?"

"I already told you," Jiang Li replied helplessly. "I wanted to come back to see Grandmother, so I returned with Uncle Mingxuan."

"But didn't you say you haven't seen the Old Madam yet?" Ye Mingyu asked.

"It’s not that I don't want to see her; it’s that Uncle Minghui and Uncle Mingxuan say her health is poor and the timing is wrong. They fear that seeing me suddenly would cause her to grow agitated and hurt her health. I’ve been in Xiangyang for nearly half a month, but I haven't found the right opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Ye Mingyu looked ashamed. He understood the subtext: the Ye family was blocking her from seeing the Old Madam, not the other way around. Although he hadn't been in Xiangyang during the events of the past, he had heard about them. He knew the Ye family was cold toward her and wouldn't be welcoming her back with open arms.

But Ye Mingyu couldn't act on his own and force a meeting between Jiang Li and the Old Madam.

He stammered and changed the subject. "I see."

Jiang Li smiled. "Uncle Mingyu, you’ve had a difficult journey."

Ye Mingyu laughed. "What’s difficult about it? I was just out touring the mountains and waters."

Ye Mingyu’s "overseas business" didn't actually bring much profit to the Ye family. The family didn't bother to restrain him, so while it was called business, it was truly just leisure. Because he was so playful, even though Jiang Li was already fifteen, Ye Mingyu, who was the same age as Ye Zhenzhen, hadn't married yet.

This had become a heartache for the Old Madam. Every year when Ye Mingyu returned for the New Year, she would try to arrange a match for him. But he was quick to escape; as soon as the New Year passed, he would set off again, disappearing into the vast world.

"Even so, not everyone has the courage to travel the world like that," Jiang Li said with a smile. "Not confined by worldly standards, living as one pleases—isn't that what life is about? Having seen famous mountains and great rivers, your horizons are broadened, and you are freer than those who spend their whole lives trapped in a mansion."

Ye Mingyu was stunned. A surge of excitement rose in his heart; he almost wanted to call Jiang Li a kindred spirit. Everyone he knew thought he was fooling around. As a descendant of the Ye family, he had boundless wealth, yet instead of managing the business and starting a family, he chose to roam the world—it was seen as irresponsible. But in his bones, he disliked stability and loved adventure. He was like a hawk that could not be caged under a roof, or a wild horse that could not be tethered in a stable.

The only person in the Ye family who had understood him was Ye Zhenzhen. Perhaps because of their shared blood, or because of her understanding back then, Ye Mingyu had never been able to harden his heart against Jiang Li. But after Ye Zhenzhen died, the last person who understood him was gone.

He never expected that here, Jiang Li would say something so similar to Ye Zhenzhen.

Ye Mingyu felt moved. Everyone said Ye Zhenzhen was simple, honest, and not very clever. But Ye Mingyu believed it was precisely because she was so warm-hearted that she understood simple truths. Looking closely, Jiang Li didn't look like Ye Zhenzhen. Compared to Ye Zhenzhen’s roundness, Jiang Li was more delicate and refined, resembling Jiang Yuanbai—spiritually clear, beautiful, and much sharper.

But she was, after all, Ye Zhenzhen’s daughter.

Seeing the softness in Ye Mingyu’s eyes, Jiang Li’s heart stirred. His attitude toward her had softened, which was a good thing.

Ye Mingyu felt he got along very well with this niece, and Jiang Li was not at all as arrogant or snobbish as Ye Minghui claimed. Having traveled far and wide, he had seen plenty of spoiled young ladies, but Jiang Li was incredibly gentle, her eyes filled with warmth. Yet this warmth was different from his niece, Ye Jia’er. Ye Jia’er was steady and proper, while Jiang Li was exceptionally bright. Her perspective seemed different from an ordinary sheltered girl, more unique. She was a girl with great "vision."

It wasn't just because she was Ye Zhenzhen’s daughter; from the bottom of his heart, Ye Mingyu liked this girl.

He scratched his head and suddenly thought of something. "You’ve come back, and I didn't bring you anything. My merchant fleet brought back some trinkets from the sea." He looked a bit embarrassed. "But you’re from Yanjing, so these probably aren't anything rare. I just bought them because I thought they were interesting. I don't know if you’ll like them."

Ye Mingyu bought things on a whim, and his trading was just as impulsive as he was. He never considered whether he would make a profit; he bought purely based on preference.

Jiang Li smiled. "Interesting things are much harder to come by than precious ones."

"You’re right!" Ye Mingyu agreed enthusiastically. He called to his attendant, "A-Shun, go get a box!"

***

What an impetuous personality.

Jiang Li smiled silently. She would have a good talk with this uncle and deepen their bond so that the Third Master would stand on her side and help her "reconcile" with the Ye family.

A-Shun and Ye Mingxuan’s attendant, A-Fu, must have been brothers; they looked somewhat alike but had completely different personalities. A-Fu was clever and shrewd like Ye Mingxuan, while A-Shun was clumsy like Ye Mingyu. Soon, he brought over a rosewood box—there were many such boxes in Ye Mingyu’s caravan.

Ye Mingyu ordered A-Shun to open the box and asked Jiang Li with a smile, "Ah Li, see anything you like? Uncle will give it to you."

Did the Ye family really like this phrase? Jiang Li wondered. When Ye Jia’er took her to the Lizheng Hall, she had offered her a bolt of fabric as soon as she liked it, and now Ye Mingyu was offering her whatever she wanted. Perhaps this was the nature of the super-rich: great wealth and great generosity.

Jiang Li looked into the box.

Inside were all sorts of odds and ends. There were pearls and cat's-eye stones, which were valuable. There was a Western-style mirror, and a wooden box that, when a mechanism was pressed, would reveal a dancing figure—very amusing. There was also a tube-like object. Just as Jiang Li picked it up to look, Ye Mingyu said, "That’s a kaleidoscope, let me teach you how to..."

Before he could finish the word "use," Jiang Li had already skillfully held it to her eye and turned the wheel.

Ye Mingyu choked. A-Shun stared at Jiang Li in surprise. Even the well-traveled Ye Mingyu hadn't known how to use it the first time he saw it, but the cousin from the Jiang family seemed quite proficient. Could she have seen one before? But he heard that almost no one in Northern Yan knew about such things.

"Have you seen this before?" Ye Mingyu asked.

"No," Jiang Li smiled. "I just saw it described in a travelogue. This is the first time I’ve held a real one."

Xue Zhao had loved these strange things and enjoyed reading miscellaneous books behind Xue Huaiyuan’s back. However, this habit of his had led to the accumulation of many rare books in their home, and Jiang Li had learned many special things through them.

Ye Mingyu thought even more highly of Jiang Li, feeling they were truly kindred spirits.

Jiang Li picked up a seashell-like object. It was very distinctive, looking like a peacock’s feather, vibrant and moist. Looking closely, it shimmered with fine brilliance under the sunlight, rippling with light. Placed next to the cat's-eye stone, it was not overshadowed at all.

"That’s a peacock shell," Ye Mingyu said, seeing her examining it. "I bought it from a merchant fleet this time. I thought it looked novel and beautiful, so I bought a lot. The box in my room is full of them. But when I returned and asked, people heard it was just a shell and wouldn't offer a high price. I bought these peacock shells with real gold and silver; I probably lost money this time." He sighed with regret.

Jiang Li didn't agree. Ye Mingyu only saw that the shell was beautiful and rare, but that didn't change the fact that it was a shell. Even the dullest cat's-eye stone was worth more than the most beautiful shell; that was indisputable. However, Ye Mingyu probably never bothered with business matters and had no insight into them, so such an absurd situation was only natural. She wondered what expressions the Eldest and Second Masters would have when they returned and saw a box full of shells.

Ye Mingyu suddenly remembered something. Looking at Jiang Li, he said, "Exactly! Since you like them, I'll give you this whole box of peacock shells. A-Shun, take this to the cousin’s courtyard later."

Before Jiang Li could stop him, A-Shun immediately agreed and carried the box away, huffing and puffing. Jiang Li suspected that Ye Mingyu had realized he couldn't sell them and couldn't find anywhere else to store them, so he was simply letting Jiang Li help him get rid of some.

But it was hard to refuse.

"Then many thanks, Uncle Mingyu," Jiang Li said with a smile.

"No thanks, no thanks," Ye Mingyu waved his hand. "If that’s not enough, I have plenty more—a few boxes, even."

Jiang Li: "..."

If he kept talking, he might really dump all the peacock shells into her courtyard. Jiang Li said, "Uncle Mingyu, let's talk about something else."

Upon hearing this, Ye Mingyu slapped his thigh. "Now that you mention it, I just remembered. Look at me, talking to you for so long, and I haven't even asked you something. Ah Li, that was you I saw at the Xihua Pavilion a few days ago, right? I didn't mistake you, did I? Why on earth would you go to the Xihua Pavilion?"

Ye Mingyu recalled the moment he saw Jiang Li just now and recognized her as the young lady he had met at the Xihua Pavilion. At the time, he had been surprised; women who went to the Xihua Pavilion were usually married ladies, and this girl didn't look like one, nor did she act like one. It had been very strange. When he saw her, he felt she looked familiar, though he couldn't place where he had seen her. Now, he realized that the feeling was likely his blood reminding him that this was his niece.

Jiang Li smiled and said, "I also have something I want to ask you, Uncle. You arrived in Xiangyang at least three days ago and even bumped into me at the Xihua Pavilion. Since you returned so long ago, why didn't you go back to the Ye house?"

A flash of embarrassment crossed Ye Mingyu’s face. He raised his hand and rubbed his nose. "I... I was just familiarizing myself with the environment and making some preparations."

He didn't explain, but Jiang Li understood. Ye Mingyu had really gone to the Xihua Pavilion to look for women. He probably feared being discovered and reported to the Ye family, so he had even entered through the back door. As for why he hadn't entered his own home, he likely didn't want to return so early and face the nightmare of the Ye family nagging him about when he would get married.

Jiang Li wasn't there to hear about his romantic escapades, so she nodded. "I didn't know what the Xihua Pavilion was. I thought it was a restaurant. There was no one outside, so I went up to take a look. I didn't realize it was a flower house until I got there, and I left immediately. That was when I happened to run into you."

"I see." Ye Mingyu understood. He didn't think much of it; after all, if one told anyone in Xiangyang that the daughter of the Chief Councilor went to a flower house on purpose, even a beggar on the street wouldn't believe it. Let alone a noble lady, even an ordinary girl wouldn't go to such a place.

"Uncle Mingyu, there is one more thing I want to ask," Jiang Li hesitated.

"What is it? Go ahead."

"Your return to Xiangyang this time probably isn't just to visit Grandmother. The Ye family's business seems to have run into some trouble. Since even you have rushed back, this trouble must not be easy to resolve." Jiang Li looked at him. "Can you tell me what exactly went wrong?"

Ye Mingyu was stunned. He never expected Jiang Li to ask about this. For a moment, he couldn't decide what to do. It concerned the Ye family business, and he was a bit cautious. But Jiang Li, who had been talking to him so gently, stared at him without blinking, showing great persistence.

Being looked at by Jiang Li, his heart softened for some reason. He thought that Jiang Li was, after all, half a member of the Ye family, and the way the family guarded against her like a thief must have hurt the girl. He said, "Actually, it’s not a major issue. Our Ye family’s fabrics are sent to clothing shops across the country every year. Especially the Ancient Fragrant Satin—you know, the nobles in Yanjing love to wear it."

"Recently, there has been a problem with this batch of fabric. Some people who wore clothes made from the Ancient Fragrant Satin broke out in red rashes. Even the doctors can't figure out why. We are still investigating," Ye Mingyu said, showing rare signs of worry. "But I can guarantee it’s definitely not a problem with the fabric itself. The weaving mill is in Xiangyang, and Eldest Brother and Second Brother have been watching it closely; there has never been any issue. It’s just that even if we say so, no one will listen."

He shook his head, looking very frustrated.

As he was speaking, footsteps approached from outside, followed by a surprised voice: "Mingyu?"

Jiang Li and Ye Mingyu looked toward the entrance. It was Ye Minghui and Ye Mingxuan who had returned.