Glory

Due to the presence of elderly members like Ye Chongxian and inner chamber women such as Yin Shi, Ye Yayin, and Ye Yayu who had never traveled before, Ye Yaming not only hired an herbalist to accompany them but also arranged a leisurely journey. Servants were sent ahead to arrange accommodations and meals, ensuring they ate at regular hours, departed only after the sun was well up, and rested early each day.

As a result, a journey that should have taken three days stretched to five before the group finally arrived at the capital's gates.

"Ming'er, if anything comes up these days, just send a servant to inform me—don't stand on ceremony with your aunt. If all goes well, I'll be waiting to drink your new daughter-in-law tea," said Qi Furen, lifting the carriage curtain to bid farewell to Ye Yaming.

"Of course, Aunt. Thank you for your trouble," Ye Yaming replied with a smile.

Watching the Qi family's carriage depart while Lu Guanyi remained mounted on his horse, Ye Yaming asked him, "Aren't you leaving?"

"I'll escort you to your destination first to learn the way."

Ye Yaming chuckled and lowered the curtain. "Very well."

The Ye family members, whose carriage had stopped nearby, overheard this exchange.

As the carriages began moving slowly and Ye Yaming's carriage—accompanied by Lu Guanyi on horseback—drew away, Ye Chongxian's grandson remarked to his grandfather, "The heir apparent holds Third Sister in high regard."

Ye Chongxian nodded. "No wonder your Seventh Granduncle wants your third sister to be the successor family head. With her tea-making skills and the backing of the Xuanwu Marquis Household, their branch's business is bound to expand even further."

Lu Guanyi did not enter the Ye residence, merely escorting the Ye family entourage to the mouth of the alley to note the location before returning to the Lu family home.

The Lu residence was a three-courtyard house in a neighborhood that was neither prestigious nor undesirable. Prime locations were beyond the Ye family's reach—not due to wealth, but social status.

This area housed affluent but socially modest families or minor officials. Some households had declined over time, while others had members who rose to high office. In this era, unless sudden fortune struck, families often resided in the same place for generations, with neighbors knowing each other's backgrounds intimately.

The arrival of over a dozen Ye family carriages now drew idlers from the alley to watch.

"Whose carriages are these?"

"My, what a procession! How many are there?"

"Which family do they belong to?"

"The Ye family—they've stopped at the Ye residence."

"Let's go take a look."

Ye Hongchang and Ye Hongsheng alighted first, assisting the Ye family head and other elders before ushering them inside. Their carriages then proceeded to the rear gate to be housed in the stables.

Only then did the carriages carrying the women pull up to the main entrance, where maids and matrons hurried down to help the ladies disembark.

Li Fu, who had also arrived, directed pages and servants to unload luggage once the women entered.

Curious onlookers couldn't resist approaching to inquire: "What brings the Ye family here? Why such a large move? Could this be a dowry?"

Having lived in the neighborhood for over twenty years, residents knew the house belonged to the owner of Gathering Fragrance Pavilion, a tea merchant from Jiangnan.

As locals held sway and the news would soon become public anyway, Li Fu saw no reason to withhold information. He smiled genially. "Our young lady is to marry in the capital, so we've come to prepare for the wedding. She'll be departing from here in a few days. Everyone is welcome to join the celebration!""Oh, married into the capital? That's wonderful news, congratulations. Which family did she marry into?"

"The Xuanwu Marquis Household."

"The Xuanwu Marquis Household?" The tone of this response rose sharply, filled with astonishment. "Oh my, your young lady has married into a fine family indeed."

Li Fu naturally understood what these people were thinking—they likely felt that the Ye family's status wasn't worthy of the Xuanwu Marquis Household. However, they knew how to maintain appearances and only spoke pleasant words.

After exchanging a few polite remarks, he noticed the pages and maids had finished moving the belongings. He offered an apology and followed them into the residence.

The onlookers then began to disperse slowly, discussing among themselves.

A man carrying a shoulder pole, resembling a street vendor, also left shortly after.

Not long after, this man entered the Meng residence and relayed the news to Meng Chengwei's father, Meng Xianzong.

"After waiting so long, they've finally arrived." Meng Xianzong's spirits lifted. "Summon Jiawang and Jiaxing."

"Yes."

Meng Xianzong paced back and forth in the room, his face contorted with gritted teeth.

The Meng family had once served as Imperial merchants, holding a fifth-rank official title and handling imperial affairs. With Min Fei's support in the palace, their lifestyle had been even more prosperous than that of many fourth-rank officials, attracting countless sycophants.

But then his son was imprisoned twice, his official position was stripped, and the title of Imperial merchant was naturally lost. Min Fei was even reprimanded by the emperor. Most terrifyingly, the Duke of Yingguo somehow discovered that the Meng family had tried to use them as gunmen and retaliated by causing trouble for the Mengs.

Last year, Meng Chengwei died in exile. The Meng family's businesses, constantly plagued by troubles, became unsustainable, and they had to compensate others heavily. They sold their original mansion, moved to a remote smaller residence, and dismissed many servants. To avoid further trouble from the Duke of Yingguo's estate, they dared not continue any business, relying solely on the rent from their three remaining shops.

How could Meng Xianzong swallow this injustice? He refused to reflect on how his son had provoked the Ye family first—attempting to seize their tea formula, plotting to harm the Ye family's male members, and finally trying to manipulate Ye Yaming's marriage using the Duke of Yingguo's influence. Instead, he blamed the Ye family entirely for the Meng family's downfall.

However, with the Meng family's finances severely depleted and only a handful of useful servants left, Meng Xianzong lacked both the courage and capability to travel to Lin'an to harm anyone. There, the Ye family were local powers, and attempting to discreetly harm Ye Yaming, who was protected by servants and manor guards, was utterly unrealistic.

He decided to wait until Ye Yaming came to the capital for her wedding to make his move. Thus, he had been sending people to loiter near the Ye residence, gathering information about Ye Yaming's marriage plans.

Now, he had finally caught his target.

Soon, three pages entered and bowed in unison. "Master."

"Ye Yaming and Lu Guanyi's wedding is set for the ninth day of the tenth month. Today is the nineteenth of the ninth month, so there are twenty days left. During this time, the three of you must work diligently. I suspect Ye Yaming will visit jewelry and silk shops before her wedding. Jiawang and Jiaxing, you two will keep watch at the Ye residence during the day. If you see Ye Yaming leave, send word to Jia'an immediately. Jia'an, you must track Qian Yongshou's whereabouts daily. Once you receive the signal, incite Qian's page to lead Qian Yongshou to wherever Ye Yaming passes, ensuring the two meet."

"Once this matter is concluded, I will return the indentured servant contracts for all three of your families. We have shared a master-servant relationship, and with the Meng family in such a state, I do not wish to burden you further."As he spoke, Meng Xianzong even made a show of wiping away tears.

Hearing this, the three pages all perked up.

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