She turned to Lu Guanyi. "I know the character of those present. They aren't the type to gossip, so they won't spread what I said and cause you to lose face."
Lu Guanyi had remained silent precisely because he found Ye Yaming's anxious explanation, her fear of misunderstanding and anger, exceptionally endearing.
He loved Ye Yaming, yet he had never seen in her eyes the infatuation he had witnessed in other girls. In this marriage, she was rational and clear-headed; without him, she might still live quite well.
This awareness made him deeply attentive to Ye Yaming's emotional shifts. Every small kindness or concern she showed him filled his heart with boundless joy.
Seeing that Ye Yaming was watching him, waiting for his response after she finished speaking, he quickly said, "It's alright, even if it gets spread, it doesn't matter. Because it's the truth, and you didn't say anything wrong."
He drew Ye Yaming into his embrace. "Actually, even if you hadn't said it, I would have found an opportunity to bring it up. Some people have particularly dirty minds and foul mouths. Now that you've married me, those who can't stand to see others happy might label you as a scheming woman climbing the social ladder. I absolutely despise that kind of talk. Your actions today were just right."
Suppressing the surging emotions in his heart, he lowered his head and kissed Ye Yaming's forehead. "Let's handle things this way from now on."
He didn't know how other marriages were, but he felt incredibly fortunate to have married Ye Yaming. He believed there was no woman in the world smarter, kinder, and more sincere than her. Ye Yaming's words and actions always struck a chord in his heart, fitting his preferences perfectly.
He didn't think Ye Yaming had been putting on an act today. During their journey to Huizhou with Qi Ji, she had consistently shown herself to be straightforward, speaking her mind without hiding anything.
Even if she had cunning and tactics, it was merely a sign of her intelligence—she only retaliated when provoked. She had never harmed anyone without reason.
Hearing him say this, Ye Yaming was also very pleased. She felt that their communication had always been harmonious, without any barriers.
She added, "Princess Yu Ning hopes that Princess Yu'an will get out more. Today, I invited her to open a pastry shop with my mother, and she agreed."
Lu Guanyi couldn't help but laugh, lowering his head to kiss Ye Yaming again. "You're such a clever one."
Regardless of their speculation that the Emperor might arrange a marriage between Princess Yu'an and Lu Zhongyong, it was crucial for Ye Yaming to build a good relationship with Princess Yu'an in advance and draw her to their side. Even without the marriage arrangement, having Princess Yu'an as a shareholder in the Ye family's pastry shop was a brilliant move.
The Grand Princess had long passed away, and now Princess Yu'an, as the Second Princess, was the eldest and held the highest status among the princesses.
Perhaps the Emperor had previously felt indifferent toward this half-sister, but as they grew older and the siblings who had once fought fiercely over interests dwindled in number, Princess Yu'an, who had always been well-behaved and lived in pitiable circumstances, had gained the Emperor's sympathy.
At this time, Ye Yaming involving her in business, bringing her joy, and openly stating the benefits of collaborating with Princess Yu'an—all done with honesty—could not only earn them favor with Princess Yu Ning but also potentially leave a positive impression on the Emperor.When others take a wife, even if she doesn't hold them back, they still need to divert some energy to protect her. But Ye Yaming not only doesn't need protection—she can even help him in return.
With such a wife, what more could one ask for?
...
Although Ye Yaming didn't plan to stay at the teahouse permanently, the next day was the peak period for issuing membership cards. And issuing membership cards was an extremely easy way to invite trouble.
For example, officials like Qi Zhibei, who held the fourth rank, were practically local emperors in Lin'an. But in the capital, where high-ranking officials and noble families were as common as hairs on a cow, a fourth-rank official was hardly worth noticing.
The Gathered Fragrance House publicly claimed to have only two hundred membership cards, but this was merely a gimmick. If a high-ranking official came and was denied a card, it would deeply offend them. However, not everyone who came could get one. Even though they claimed only two hundred, they could issue up to three hundred at most—any more would likely cause problems.
To avoid offending anyone, Ye Yaming had sent out greeting cards—actually promotional brochures—a few days earlier to the influential nobles and officials in the capital. These brochures explained that the teahouse had only two hundred membership cards, available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Those who received these cards could see that the Gathered Fragrance House would become an excellent place for networking and would send people to apply for membership cards today. If they failed to recognize this or looked down on it, they couldn't blame the Ye family for missing out.
But there were always those who didn't play by the rules. It was possible that someone without a greeting card would show up today demanding a membership card. In such cases, Ye Yaming had to make the decision.
So, on the second day, Ye Yaming still went to the teahouse.
Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji had been able to help during the opening, accompanying friends like Fan Yu, but it wasn't appropriate for them to come afterward.
Only Ye Hongsheng and his daughter, Ye Yaming, were busy at the teahouse.
The men's side was relatively manageable. When Ye Hongsheng said, "The two hundred membership cards are already issued," they understood that their status wasn't sufficient. Making a scene would be pointless and might offend those who had already obtained cards, so they usually didn't press further.
The women's side, however, was different.
Just as Ye Yaming was chatting with guests in a private room, a maid entered and reported, "Madam Lu, your maid says there's an issue upfront and asks you to come over."
"Alright, you don't need to stay with us. Go attend to your duties," the guest waved her off.
Ye Yaming excused herself and found Lve E waiting outside. She led her a short distance away and asked, "What's the matter?"
"There are two ladies—the elder sister is the wife of the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and the younger sister is the wife of a Herbalist from the Ministry of Rites. Neither of them had our teahouse's greeting cards, but they insisted on applying for membership cards. We issued one to the elder sister but told the younger sister that the number was limited and suggested she share with her sister, using the same card number when visiting. But the younger sister scolded us harshly."
Upon hearing this, Ye Yaming understood immediately, a mocking smile curling at the corners of her lips. "These two are probably here specifically to cause trouble."
As the saying goes, "Even Qin Hui had three friends." Shi Shi was no exception.
The two sisters causing trouble were friends of Shi Shi—though calling them friends was an overstatement; they were more like lackeys.
They both came from noble families but had married newly appointed Presented Scholars. The elder sister's husband had indeed risen to the position of Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review with the support of Duke Wei's estate. The younger sister's husband, lacking ability, only managed to become a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Rites.It was precisely because of their close relationship with Shi Shi that Ye Yaming hadn't sent a visiting card to the Minister of Dali Temple's wife. Unexpectedly, they had come knocking at her door.
"Do this," Ye Yaming whispered a few words into Lve E's ear.
Lve E nodded repeatedly and headed in the direction Ye Yaming pointed.
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End of the month, placing my bowl to request monthly votes.
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