Glory

Ye Yaming and Ye Hongrong made a round in the city and visited other teahouses to gather information. When they returned at noon, they learned that Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji had gone to the prefect's residence as guests. Ye Hongrong was quite pleased.

He remarked, "They must have sent generous gifts to Magistrate Lu. Official Qi has powerful backing and will surely be promoted faster than Magistrate Lu. How could Magistrate Lu refuse to give him face? Besides, we’ve offered him a twenty percent share. We’ll soon take over Huizhou."

Unexpectedly, when Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji returned at noon, both looked rather displeased.

And trailing behind them was a young girl.

She appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen, dressed in bright red robes, with striking features that gave an immediate impression of boldness and flamboyance.

The two men had intended to head straight to their own courtyard upon entering the inn, but the girl stopped an inn attendant and asked, "Where is the young lady staying who came with Young Master Lu and Qi Gongzi?"

This young lady from the prefect’s household was a familiar sight on the streets, and the attendant recognized her at once.

Not daring to conceal anything, he pointed to Ye Yaming’s courtyard and said to Lu Yan, "It’s the Celestial No. 2 Courtyard."

Lu Yan glanced at Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji, then strode directly toward Ye Yaming’s courtyard with her maid in tow.

Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji exchanged looks.

Qi Ji asked, "What should we do?"

Frowning, Lu Guanyi raised his voice toward Lu Yan’s retreating figure, "Miss Lu, entering uninvited is impolite. As the daughter of an official, I trust you wouldn’t intrude into a guest’s courtyard without permission?"

Lu Yan turned back, flashing a radiant smile. "Young Master Lu is right."

She composed her expression and instructed the attendant, "Go and inform the young lady in that courtyard that the prefect’s daughter has come to pay a visit."

The attendant hastily assented and hurried off.

Lu Yan smiled at Lu Guanyi. "I’ve sent someone to announce my visit. If that... oh, what’s her surname—yes, Miss Ye—invites me in, then it won’t count as intruding, will it?"

Lu Guanyi’s expression was cold. "I don’t know what business you have with Miss Ye. I’ll only say this: Miss Ye came with Qi Ji and me, and we are responsible for ensuring she isn’t mistreated."

Lu Yan, having been spoiled by her father and brothers since childhood and now at a rebellious age, felt a surge of anger at his words.

She sneered, on the verge of retorting, but when she saw Lu Guanyi’s sternly handsome face, she swallowed her words.

She exclaimed, "Young Master Lu, don’t you think your words are rather rude? I’m merely here to visit Miss Ye, not to cause trouble."

Upon hearing the attendant’s announcement, Ye Yaming guessed that this Miss Lu was an unwanted admirer drawn by Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji. Learning that a young lady had accompanied the two men, wouldn’t Miss Lu want to see what kind of person she was?

By then, Ye Yaming had already reached the courtyard gate. Hearing the exchange between Lu Guanyi and Lu Yan, she quickly said to Fang Xing, "Please invite her in."

Fang Xing hurried out, first bowing to Lu Guanyi. "Young Master Lu, Qi Gongzi, you’re back?" Then she turned to Lu Yan. "You must be Miss Lu, the prefect’s daughter? Our young lady invites you in for tea."

"Such airs for a mere merchant’s daughter—she didn’t even come out to greet us after hearing we’d arrived," Lu Yan muttered under her breath near Lu Guanyi before stepping across the threshold.Upon entering the courtyard gate, she saw Ye Yaming standing in the yard.

The original host possessed the gentleness and delicacy typical of women from the Jiangnan water towns. Since Ye Yaming had crossed over, aside from initially maintaining the persona for a short while to avoid breaking character, she gradually transformed her demeanor as her influence within the Ye family grew, reverting to her true self. She practiced boxing and exercised, making her body much stronger than before.

At this moment, Ye Yaming's features remained exquisitely beautiful, but her aura had become dignified and imposing. When she looked at others, her gaze was steady and unwavering, her posture composed, and she exuded a subtle sense of pressure. Her every movement carried a natural, unrestrained elegance.

Suddenly encountering such a Ye Yaming,

Lu Yan was momentarily stunned. Ye Yaming nodded to her: "Miss Lu."

As a merchant's daughter, not fawningly stepping forward to bow would normally have irritated Lu Yan, especially since she had come looking for trouble.

But faced with Ye Yaming, whose beauty surpassed her own and whose presence was formidable, Lu Yan actually felt a trace of timidity.

Worried that Lu Yan might cause trouble, Qi Ji quickly stepped forward to introduce them: "Miss Lu, this is Miss Ye. The Ye family has been in the tea business for over a century in Lin'an. Miss Ye's grandfather is a sworn friend of Master Zhineng, and Miss Ye herself is highly regarded by Master Zhineng, who treats her as his own descendant."

Seeing the confusion in Lu Yan's eyes, clearly unaware of who Master Zhineng was, he had to lower his voice to clarify: "Master Zhineng is the current emperor's cousin, the biological son of the old Prince Wei."

Only then did Lu Yan understand.

She vaguely recalled hearing about Master Zhineng before and had some impression of him.

Once she grasped the situation, Qi Ji turned to Ye Yaming and said, "This is Miss Lu Yan, daughter of Magistrate Lu of Xin'an Prefecture."

"Miss Lu," Ye Yaming nodded again, gesturing as she turned, "Please come inside to talk."

"Haha, no, no. I just heard Young Master Lu and Qi Gongzi mention you and was curious, so I came to see. It's getting late, I should be going now. Farewell."

With that, Lu Yan nodded to everyone and turned to leave.

Qi Ji personally escorted Lu Yan to the inn's entrance, watching her mount her horse and depart before he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Ye Hongrong had been standing guard beside Ye Yaming when Lu Yan arrived. If Lu Yan had been disrespectful, he would have definitely protected his niece's safety.

After all, before leaving home, his parents, his eldest brother, and his second sister-in-law had all repeatedly emphasized the importance of Ye Yaming's well-being. If anything happened to her, he would be skinned alive.

Seeing Qi Ji escort Lu Yan out, he greeted Lu Guanyi, "Young Master Lu, would you like to come in and sit?"

Lu Guanyi nodded and entered the hall.

Ye Hongrong knew he wasn't much of a talker, much like his niece—speaking only when necessary and otherwise remaining silent. When they were together, Qi Ji was always the one livening up the atmosphere.

He called for Zan'er to brew tea.

By the time Zan'er brought the tea, Qi Ji had returned.

Qi Ji first cupped his hands toward Ye Yaming, "Although it wasn't our fault, I must apologize to you, Miss Ye. This Miss Lu..."

He shook his head with a bitter smile.

It turned out that he had met this Miss Lu at the banquet at the Lu residence the previous night. Judging by her behavior, it was clear she had been spoiled by her parents. Upon seeing Qi Ji, she had been instantly smitten. After all, Qi Ji was handsome, came from a prestigious family, and his speech and demeanor were distinctly different from the young men of Xin'an.After Qi Ji left, Lu Yan discussed her thoughts with her parents, and Lü Xuanlin and his wife also felt it was a good match.