Glory

Zhang Shi said, "This set of jewelry is a token of my regard." She instructed her maid, "Take it to Third Miss later."

Having fiercely competed with her siblings in the Zhang family, she was inherently strong-willed by nature.

After marrying Ye Hongrong, if he had been good-for-nothing, she would have felt constrained in the Ye household and unable to hold her head high when returning to her maiden home.

Ye Hongrong had initially been idle and shiftless. After their marriage, she repeatedly urged him to better himself, yet he made a grave mistake shortly after taking charge of the Tea House, resulting in a caning and confinement. Zhang Shi had thought her husband was doomed to failure thereafter.

Without involvement in the family business, though they would receive a ten percent share during the division of assets, since he had never contributed to the family's earnings, their portion would inevitably be meager and worthless. Moreover, he would be incapable of managing it after the division. The future of the fourth branch appeared bleak.

In her despair, while the main branch showed little concern, it was Ye Yaming who extended a helping hand to the fourth branch, taking Ye Hongrong to Huizhou and later proposing to Old Master Ye that he manage affairs there.

Although her husband was now often away from home, Zhang Shi was pleased. Compared to Ye Hongrong idling at home, where the couple grew weary of each other's company, she preferred seeing him venture out to build a career.

She felt grateful to Ye Yaming but had never expressed it.

Now, upon learning that Ye Yaming had secured a favorable marriage, she specially selected a set of jewelry to offer congratulations.

Unexpectedly, the engagement turned out to be baseless. While her heart ached for Ye Yaming, she felt even more compelled to present the jewelry as compensation.

She was not one to be ungrateful.

Tao Shi's face flushed again under Zhang Shi's pointed remarks.

She, too, knew how to conduct herself properly. If Ye Hongchang were still the family head and her son the heir apparent, she would have displayed great magnanimity, embodying the demeanor of a matriarch by generously bestowing gifts upon Ye Yaming.

Had she not done so in the past?

But now, harboring resentment toward the Ye elders and Ye Yaming, she considered it an achievement merely to refrain from voicing complaints, let alone thinking of giving gifts to Ye Yaming.

She shot a resentful glance at Zhang Shi before turning to Ye Yaming with a smile. "Da Bo's wife originally intended to present a lavish gift on your wedding day. I truly hadn't expected the engagement to turn out like this. Ming'er, you've suffered. When I return, I'll have servants deliver a gift to you."

Ye Yaming hastily waved her hands. "No, no, there's really no need."

She stood up and bowed to Tao Shi and Zhang Shi. "Thank you, Da Bo's wife and Fourth Aunt, for your consideration. Ming'er doesn't feel she has done anything deserving of such expense from you."

Lifting her head, she smiled radiantly. "If this marriage does come to pass, it would be more appropriate for Da Bo's wife and Fourth Aunt to offer gifts on the wedding day."

Among those present, only Old Madam Ye was privy to the truth.

In her view, Lu Guanyi had feelings for Ye Yaming, and the betrothal gifts clearly demonstrated his high regard for her. Unless he died in battle (heaven forbid!), this marriage was certain to proceed.

After all, the Crown Prince had acted as matchmaker, Master Zhineng had delivered the betrothal gifts, and the Lu family had sent a second uncle to represent them. Even without the presence of Lu Guanyi's parents, this marriage was firmly settled and bound to happen.

As for Zhang Shi, regardless of her sharp tongue and seemingly contentious nature, she was actually very clear-headed. Otherwise, she would not have taken a liking to Ye Hongrong and married into the Ye family in the first place.The Ye family's circumstances were inferior to the Zhang family's, and Ye Hongrong was not the eldest son inheriting the family business. Marrying into the Ye family brought a comfortable life but did not give Zhang Shi any particular face among her numerous sisters and brothers.

Old Mrs. Ye only worried that after Tao Shi sent this gift, once she learned who the betrothed was and that this marriage was not a baseless affair, she would be unable to accept reality.

Why had Ye Yaqing reached such an age without her engagement being settled? It was simply because Tao Shi wanted to find a son-in-law comparable to the former Song Yifeng, believing that as the eldest daughter of the main branch, Ye Yaqing’s husband should be the foremost match in the Ye family.

After Ye Yaming seized the inheritance rights of the main branch to become the next head of the family, this idea became an obsession for Tao Shi: "So what if you, Ye Yaming, become the head? A woman’s greatest tragedy is an unhappy marriage. I’ll just watch you cry then." Having lived together as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law for over twenty years, Old Mrs. Ye understood Tao Shi’s mindset perfectly.

She also clearly knew that no matter how much Tao Shi struggled, she could not realize this wish. After all, Lu Guanyi’s status and position were too high—it was purely a stroke of luck from heaven. Such good fortune was unlikely to strike twice.

She spoke up: "Ming'er is right, let’s forget about the gift. When Ming'er gets married, you can bring it as an addition to her trousseau."

With the mother-in-law having spoken, Tao Shi and Zhang Shi had no choice but to agree. The maid behind Zhang Shi closed the box and stepped aside.

"This matter concerns the safety of the Ye family. I must ask Da Bo’s wife and Fourth Aunt not to speak of it to the servants around you, not even your most trusted confidants. If anyone asks, just say it’s someone my father met in the capital, and as for who exactly, you don’t know," Ye Yaming instructed.

The world is never short of people who hope for others’ misfortune and love to speculate.

If the Ye family said this, those people would surely assume that Ye Yaming’s betrothed was an old, ugly, and unaccomplished man who was too embarrassing to mention, fearing ridicule.

After all, there were some in the capital who, even in their forties or fifties, held only a fifth-rank sinecure title—these were the dissolute second-generation heirs of declining families, looked down upon by everyone.

Ye Yaming, with her outstanding looks and having written a book on Tea Arrangement, was highly likely to be taken as a second wife by an old man.

Hearing this, Tao Shi frowned.

If people really misunderstood and speculated like that, how could she arrange a marriage for her Qing'er?

But she also knew she couldn’t say this aloud, or Zhang Shi would surely corner her with a retort.

Ye Hongchang was in the capital, Ye Jiaxing’s tea set business was growing larger, and he was constantly either running to the capital or Xinping. Even when he finally returned to Lin’an, he would spend time whispering with the scholars designing tea set sketches.

As for Ye Yaqing, discussing it with her wouldn’t be of much use.

Thus, Tao Shi had no one to consult. Returning to her own courtyard, she sighed deeply with Li Mama.

Li Mama comforted her: "You think this way because you’re in the know. Outsiders may not speculate like that. Our Ye family isn’t the type to sell out daughters for glory. Do you remember the marriage of the young mistress? If Old Master Ye and Old Madam Ye were that kind of people, they wouldn’t have rejected the Bai family’s marriage proposal back then."

Tao Shi was taken aback, then recalled and repeatedly said: "Right, right, right. I almost forgot if you hadn’t mentioned it."Old Mrs. Ye had not only given birth to four sons, but also two daughters. The younger daughter was born prematurely and passed away at the age of three, while the elder daughter, Ye Xuewei, grew up safely.

Ye Xuewei was just over a year younger than Ye Hongchang and was no less beautiful than Ye Yaming. Back then, a family named Bai in Lin'an City took a liking to her and wanted to marry her as a second wife. The Bai family was also an aristocratic clan, but by the third generation, it had declined and was no longer wealthy. Besides being attracted to Ye Xuewei's beauty, they were also drawn to the Ye family's wealth.

"Brother Shen!"

"Hmm!"

As Shen Changqing walked along the road, whenever he encountered acquaintances, they would greet each other or exchange nods.

But no matter who it was.

Everyone's face bore no extra expression, as if they were indifferent to everything.

To this.

Shen Changqing was already accustomed.

Because this was the Demon Suppression Division, an institution responsible for maintaining the stability of Great Qin. Its main duty was to slay demons, monsters, and supernatural beings, though it also handled some other side tasks.

It could be said.

Every person in the Demon Suppression Division had blood on their hands.

When one had witnessed life and death too often, they would become indifferent to many things.

When Shen Changqing first arrived in this world, he found it somewhat uncomfortable, but over time, he grew accustomed to it.

The Demon Suppression Division was vast.

Those who could remain in the Demon Suppression Division were either formidable experts or individuals with the potential to become experts.

Shen Changqing belonged to the latter category.

Within the Demon Suppression Division, there were two main roles: the Garrison Envoy and the Demon Subduing Envoy.

Anyone who entered the Demon Suppression Division started as the lowest-ranking Demon Subduing Envoy,

then gradually advanced, with the hope of eventually becoming a Garrison Envoy.

Shen Changqing's predecessor was a trainee Demon Subduing Envoy in the Demon Suppression Division, the lowest rank among the Demon Subduing Envoys.

With the memories of his predecessor.

He was very familiar with the environment of the Demon Suppression Division.

It didn't take long for Shen Changqing to stop in front of a pavilion.

Unlike the other solemn and murderous places in the Demon Suppression Division, this pavilion stood out like a crane among chickens, exuding an unusual tranquility amidst the blood-soaked atmosphere of the division.

At this moment, the pavilion's door was wide open, with people occasionally entering and exiting.

Shen Changqing hesitated only for a moment before stepping inside.

Upon entering the pavilion.

The environment abruptly changed.

A scent of ink mixed with a faint smell of blood wafted toward him, causing him to instinctively frown, but he quickly relaxed.

The bloody scent that clung to everyone in the Demon Suppression Division was almost impossible to wash away completely.