Glory

Ye Yaming had originally intended to assess the situation before speaking further. After all, without clarity, any analysis would be mere speculation.

But since Ye Hongchang had pressed her this far, she shared her thoughts: "I think we should wait and see. Although the Fourth Prince has been suppressed, the Crown Prince is still in power and currently at the peak of his influence. Even if the Third Prince has any ambitions, he wouldn’t dare cause trouble at such a critical moment."

"There are no secrets in the palace. The fact that our Dragon Well Tea was presented to the Emperor by His Highness the Crown Prince is something the Third Prince could easily find out without even asking. Why would he risk offending the Crown Prince by approaching us for cooperation, essentially snatching opportunities from His Highness’s grasp?"

"That’s why I find this situation suspicious. Moreover, how much influence do you think Wang Kuan really has to summon a eunuch from the Third Prince’s household all the way to Lin’an? If he truly had such connections, would he have spent the last two years scrambling to steal our tea formulas? And when he failed, resorting to petty tricks to annoy us?"

While outsiders speculated that the Ye family had powerful backing since their Dragon Well Tea had reached the Emperor, Ye Hongchang and the others knew the truth. They believed it was either Lu Qi and his companion who had delivered it through certain channels, or Master Zhineng who had assisted. It was even possible that Imperial Consort Fan and Princess Yu Ning, fond of the tea, had presented some to the Emperor, thus catching His Majesty’s attention.

Now, hearing that their supposed backer was actually the Crown Prince, they were all astounded.

Yet, almost immediately, they felt reassured.

With the Crown Prince on their side, what did they have to fear from the Third Prince?

Ye Yaming continued, "Besides, our Dragon Well is a Tribute Tea, recognized by the Emperor himself. If we refuse to cooperate and the Third Prince still tries to force us, word would reach the Emperor. The Third Prince would face severe consequences and further infuriate the Crown Prince."

"So, I don’t think this is a serious matter. Let’s wait and see. It’s possible the eunuch is unaware of our situation and was lured here by Wang Kuan, hoping to seize some advantage."

After analyzing the situation, she turned to Ye Hongchang. "As for Da Bo’s question about my fiancé—if this matter becomes too troublesome and isn’t as easily resolved as I’ve just described, I will send someone to inform him and have him report it to the Crown Prince for handling."

After all, those present were her closest relatives. With the downfall of the Duke Wei’s estate, there was no harm in disclosing her engagement to Lu Guanyi, as long as they were cautioned not to spread the word.

Moreover, a year and a half had already passed since Lu Guanyi set their two-year deadline. Once the situation in the capital stabilized, he would likely send someone to discuss marriage arrangements. Informing her close relatives in advance about her engagement to Lu Guanyi was both a gesture of intimacy and respect toward her uncles. Keeping it hidden any longer would only breed resentment.

But Ye Yaming always thought deeply about things.

Back then, Lu Guanyi had agreed to the engagement under duress, worried that Shi Shi might manipulate his marriage prospects. The Ye family’s business was also in partnership with him. If the Duke Ying’s estate were to force an engagement on her, it would be detrimental to both Lu Qi and his companion—an unwelcome third party meddling in their tripartite collaboration, likely bringing endless troubles.

Thus, Lu Guanyi had entered into the engagement with her to resolve the predicament at the time.

Now, with Empress Shi and Lu Guanyi’s stepmother, Shi Shi, deposed and divorced, and the Duke Wei’s estate no longer a threat, the troubles in the capital had dissipated. Lu Guanyi had become the heir to a marquisate, a fourth-rank military official with a promising future. Marrying a merchant’s daughter at this point would likely invite ridicule.Yet a great disparity in status makes them an ill-matched couple, and she had no desire to be dragged into the murky waters of the capital.

Thus, the outcome of her marriage arrangement with Lu Guanyi remained uncertain.

Since everyone had initially speculated it was "groundless," why should she make it a reality and give people a surprise? What was the point of experiencing such extreme emotions—joy followed immediately by the humiliation of a broken engagement—if it would only lead to great sorrow?

Although he hadn’t confirmed his suspicions directly from Ye Yaming’s mouth, learning that her fiancé did indeed exist and had the backing of the Crown Prince immediately set Ye Hongchang’s mind at ease.

Yet Ye Chongming still felt uneasy.

He knew that the Ye family was merely cooperating with Lu and Qi, and had little direct connection to the Crown Prince himself.

He asked, "Will His Highness the Crown Prince intervene in our affairs?"

Although the Marquis of Xuanwu now held military power—making even the Emperor show respect to the Lu family, let alone the Crown Prince—not to mention a mere Third Prince, Ye Yaming found it inappropriate to discuss such matters openly with those present.

She gave Ye Chongming a meaningful look. "Grandfather, have you forgotten our Dark Tea? With such a significant business at stake, do you think His Highness the Crown Prince would allow the Third Prince to intercept it?"

Her words immediately reassured Ye Chongming.

Of course, of course. The Dark Tea venture was not only a massive enterprise but also crucial to border negotiations. If it were to be transported to the frontier, it would even impact border stability. With something so important, how could the Crown Prince allow the Third Prince to get involved instead of keeping it under his own control?

His expression relaxed as he addressed the others, "Alright, let’s follow Ming’er’s advice. First, we’ll investigate and assess the situation."

Though the others didn’t fully understand, seeing Ye Chongming so reassured made them all nod in agreement.

"So, what should we do now…?" Ye Hongrong asked, noticing everyone sitting around idly, staring at each other.

Ye Chongming turned his gaze to Ye Yaming.

Ye Yaming said, "Everyone should return home for now. But don’t leave the estate. I’ll send word if there’s any news."

"Alright."

With that, the group dispersed.

Ye Yaming, however, stayed behind in Ye Chongming’s study.

She anticipated that Qi Ji, upon receiving the message, would come quickly.

That fellow was impatient and disliked thinking things through. Faced with such a situation, he would either seek advice from his father on how to resolve it or come to her for guidance. Moreover, since she had instructed him in her letter to inquire with Qi Zhifu about the relevant details, he would surely rush over as soon as he had the information.

It had to be said that their trips to Huizhou and Minzhou had given Ye Yaming a thorough understanding of Qi Ji’s character. Sure enough, before long, Qi Ji arrived in a fluster.

Led into the study by a page, he blurted out as soon as he saw Ye Yaming, "I’ve asked my father. That eunuch is indeed from the Third Prince’s residence. He came to Jiangnan with the Imperial Household Department officials to procure goods for the Third Prince’s wedding."

She asked, "Do you know his specific role in the Third Prince’s household?"

Qi Ji shook his head. "He’s probably not a high-ranking eunuch. When my father met the officials from the Imperial Household Department, during introductions, he was placed toward the back."

Hearing this, Ye Yaming felt reassured.

Although eunuchs were emasculated and held little status in the eyes of officials, people were pragmatic. If he were a powerful senior eunuch or a favorite of the prince, the officials would have shown him respect by introducing him first before themselves.

"Alright, I’ll meet with him tomorrow, disclose our situation, and see how he reacts," she said.After speaking, she added, "I believe this matter must be Wang Kuan's doing. The Third Prince isn't foolish—how could he openly offend the Crown Prince? It's likely that Wang Kuan, bearing a grudge against our Ye Jia, seized this opportunity to lure an uninformed and overly ambitious eunuch into causing trouble for us. If this isn't handled properly, both the Crown Prince and the Third Prince might end up blaming Lord Qi. You should go back and discuss this thoroughly with your father to see how to resolve it."

Upon hearing this, Qi Ji immediately grew tense, stood up, and said, "I'll return at once to speak with my father."

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