Glory

Hearing this, Ye Yaming's face showed disgust.

"Eliminating the mother to keep the child—it seems that Kong Shi is no easy target either. The entire Meng family is full of rotten apples."

"Indeed, a crooked tail follows a crooked head. What kind of parents could raise someone like Meng Chengwei? They must be just as bad."

Yun'er continued, "Most of the Meng family's servants have been sold off now. Excluding the maids and elderly women, there are only about three or four useful pages left. Yesterday, a page named Jia'an disguised himself as a peddler to spy outside the Ye residence. Today, two pages named Jiawang and Jiaxing have been stationed at our main gate. Jia'an has been interacting with a young master from the Qian family recently—no telling what mischief they're brewing."

"What is the Qian family's situation? What kind of person is this Young Master Qian?" Ye Yaming asked.

Yun'er explained the Qian family and Qian Yongshou's circumstances.

Young Master Qian, named Qian Yongshou, had a grandfather who once held a third-rank official position but passed away over a decade ago. The Qian family had only one male heir for generations. His father was an unremarkable man who took several concubines but only managed to produce Qian Yongshou as the sole heir, doted on to the point of arrogance.

Upon hearing that Qian Yongshou was a lecherous man, Ye Yaming scoffed in contempt.

The Meng family was resorting to such despicable tricks again.

But old tactics could still be effective. If they succeeded, even if it was just a few words of harassment, she would never be able to move freely among the noblewomen of the capital again. The Meng family would surely exploit the situation to stir up trouble.

Just look at how popular Lu Guanyi was among women in Lin'an—the capital was likely no different. Yun'er had previously gathered information about Lu Guanyi for her, and she knew that even when he wasn't the heir and had a difficult stepmother, many noblewomen still wanted to marry him just for his looks.

These noblewomen, knowing that Lu Guanyi had refused to marry them and instead wed a lowly merchant's daughter, would undoubtedly hold a grudge against her.

If Meng Xianzong tried something and these noblewomen found out, they would likely make a scene—not only publicly humiliating her but also forcing her to leave the capital.

Although she planned to reside mainly in Lin'an and rarely visit the capital, choosing not to come and being unable to stay were two different matters. She refused to endure such humiliation.

Besides, she had no patience for constant vigilance against thieves. Since the Meng family refused to behave, she would crush them with one decisive blow.

As for Min Fei and the Third Princess, if they truly protected the Meng family, they must already despise the Ye family and her. Even if she didn't fight back when the Meng family attacked, Min Fei and the Third Princess would still hate her—a little more wouldn't make a difference.

The court still needed her to produce Dark Tea. If things really came to light, there was no guarantee the Emperor would side with Min Fei and the Third Princess.

She said to Yun'er, "I understand everything you've told me. Go find Zan'er. Among the people he brought, there's one named Zheng Lin. Have him pose as an out-of-town merchant to approach these pages from the Meng family. Tell him to mention a porcelain business deal that could earn them thousands of taels of silver—lure them into eagerly pursuing this transaction."

Yun'er blinked. "Miss, are you planning to...?"

He had an inkling of what Ye Yaming intended, but he wanted to confirm to avoid making mistakes that could ruin her plans."Servants have no right to private property—everything belongs to their masters. After serving as loyal dogs for so many years, and with the former Meng family being wealthy, their personal fortunes are likely greater than what the Meng family possesses now."

"In the past, the Meng family had wealth and influence. They enjoyed the shade under a large tree and skimmed profits, so naturally, they had no thoughts of leaving. But now that the Meng family has fallen, they’ve probably long wanted to escape. Yet Meng Xianzong finds them too useful—how could he possibly let them go? One side wants to partner with others in business, eager to regain their freedom, while the other side stubbornly refuses to release them. Guess what the final outcome will be?"

At this point, Ye Yaming revealed a cold smile.

Yun'er’s eyes lit up as he praised, "What a brilliant idea."

The Meng family had repeatedly tried to use others to do their dirty work, but now they could turn the tables and let the Meng masters and servants tear each other apart. All they needed to do was set the bait. Given the ruthless nature of Jia'an and his companions, they might just turn around and eliminate Meng Xianzong and his family.

If anything happened to the Meng family, it would be the doing of their own servants, with no connection to the Ye family, ensuring the Ye family stayed out of trouble. The young lady’s strategy was truly masterful.

"Help Zheng Lin rent a shop and stock some goods. Take whatever funds you need from Zan'er and offer him advice to ensure this matter is handled properly. Once it’s resolved, I’ll transfer Zheng Lin to Huizhou for work. After a couple of years, when the situation has cooled, he can return to my side if he wishes."

"This humble one will go find Brother Zan right away," he said enthusiastically. "I’ll make sure to handle this matter well."

Ye Yaming nodded. "You are capable. These past two years, I’ve relied on you here in the capital."

Yun'er quickly bowed. "It is this humble one’s fortune to serve the young lady. Doing my duty is only what’s expected—I dare not claim any credit."

Ye Yaming then asked, "What was your original surname?"

Yun'er glanced up at Ye Yaming, his heart pounding. "This humble one’s original surname is Ma."

He didn’t know if the young lady’s inquiry about his surname meant what he suspected.

"Back when I was only the successor family head in the Ye family, I didn’t have many Housekeeper positions to assign. Once I’m married, all of you will be on my dowry retinue list. I’ll promote you and Song'er to junior Housekeepers, and Zan'er to senior Housekeeper. Your loyalty and capability, and all that you’ve done for me, I’ve seen it all. I won’t treat you unfairly."

Yun'er and Zan'er, who was standing nearby, dropped to their knees with a thud and kowtowed to Ye Yaming, exclaiming emotionally, "Thank you, young lady!"

Zan'er never imagined that as an ordinary Page, simply by following the right master, he would not only learn so much from the young lady over the years but also leap to the position of senior Housekeeper. Overwhelmed, tears rolled down his cheeks.

Yun'er felt the same.

Though they hadn’t held official Housekeeper titles these past two years, their monthly allowances and rewards had been substantial. The young lady was truly generous to her subordinates. As long as one worked diligently, she would never treat them unfairly.

Ye Yaming then said to Bai Rui and the others, "Although Bai Rui and Lve E will remain by my side for now, your treatment will be the same as Zan'er’s. Once you’re married, you’ll be promoted to stewardesses, with Ziyuan and Qingzhi taking your places as senior maids."

Bai Rui and Lve E also hurried to express their gratitude.

"Alright, Yun'er and Zan'er, go attend to your tasks first. If anything is uncertain, Yun'er, come directly to me—don’t hesitate. As for Zheng Lin, after you take him out of the estate, tell him not to come to me anymore. If he has matters, he can reach you through your contacts."This Yun'er was the most capable among the first batch of trainees cultivated by Sun An. Originally a servant of an official who had left the capital to take up a regional post, he was later sold off when the official fell from grace. Selected and purchased by the Qi Family's Housekeeper, he was subsequently sent to the Ye Family.