Glory

An elderly man who had been away from the capital for some time asked, "Who is that?"

Everyone glanced up and said, "That must be the Ye family girl who married into the Xuanwu Marquis Household. In our entire alley, which family could afford such spirited horses and have servants carrying the aura of the battlefield?"

"Yes, it's her."

Another person remarked, "She just got married not long ago, right? I've already seen her return several times. What married woman keeps running back to her family home like this?"

An old man named Li, who clearly knew the inside story, said, "You all don't know, do you? My steward recently chatted with the Ye family's steward and found out that this Ye girl is truly remarkable."

He recounted Ye Yaming's contributions and status in the Ye family, then added, "I heard she received divine guidance in a dream, which is why she understands tea making so well and is so capable at such a young age."

"Oh my, no wonder she managed to marry into a marquis household. Talented people will always find a way to succeed," remarked a tall, thin old man.

As he spoke, he shook his head.

When the Ye girl got married some time ago, the extravagance was something else; later, she often returned with her servants, sometimes even bringing her fourth-rank general husband along. The jealous expressions on his own wife and daughter-in-law's faces were unbearable to watch.

They kept gossiping about what kind of seductive tricks she must have used to marry Young General Lu, claiming that with her merchant background, she could never have climbed so high otherwise.

Later, he would use Old Man Li's words to shut his wife up and warn her not to speak carelessly. If such talk spread, how could their family survive?

"Hey, Old Master Li, I heard your family wants to form a marriage alliance with the Ye family? How's it going? What did they say? Don't hold back—the Ye family has two girls of marriageable age. I won't steal your chance."

The one asking, Old Man Chen, brought this up publicly because he believed that among those present, only Old Man Li's family could match his in status.

His son held a fifth-rank official position, and his grandson, already a Tongsheng at fifteen, showed great promise.

If the Ye girl hadn't married into the Xuanwu Marquis Household—with the Marquis holding significant power, his grandson potentially becoming brothers-in-law with the promising Young General Lu, and the Ye family possibly becoming imperial merchants—he would never have considered the Ye family worthy.

Of course, he said he wouldn't compete with Old Man Li, but he was determined to have his grandson marry the biological younger sister of the Madam Heir Apparent of the Xuanwu Marquis. A cousin would be too distant, and with deceased parents, she wouldn't be considered fortunate.

Old Man Li grew tense upon hearing Old Man Chen's words.

Ever since he witnessed Third Miss Ye's wedding, he had set his sights on the Ye family. Recently, he had been sending his steward to cozy up to the Ye family's steward, gathering information about them, and these past few days, he had his steward testing the waters for a possible match.

He also had his eye on the biological younger sister of the Madam Heir Apparent.

But if Old Man Chen decided to compete, this marriage prospect would be in jeopardy.

He looked around, then leaned in close to Old Man Chen and whispered, "Their family recently opened a teahouse, right? Only officials of third rank and above or nobles of marquis rank and higher are allowed in. Those of lower ranks can't even get through the door. And you know that pastry shop on East Street? It's a joint venture between Princess Yu'an and Madam Ye."

Everyone gasped in astonishment."The kind of people his family associates with, how could they possibly look favorably upon a family like ours?" Old Man Li shook his head and sighed. "We'd better give up on this idea."

What he said was naturally the truth, all of it having been personally relayed by the Ye family's housekeeper.

However, there were some things he didn't mention. He'd heard that Second Master Ye doted on his daughters the most. Back when Young General Lu came seeking marriage, Second Master Ye hadn't wanted to betroth his daughter to him, worrying that once his daughter entered the marquis' household—like falling into an abyss—she would suffer grievances in such a prominent family.

It was only after Young General Lu showed utmost sincerity, repeatedly promising to treat Third Miss Ye well, and Third Miss Ye herself had taken a liking to Young General Lu, that Second Master Ye finally relented.

Second Master Ye only had two daughters. The eldest had married into a wealthy and powerful family, so the younger daughter wouldn't necessarily be sent to another high-ranking official's household. Families who truly cherished their daughters would only choose those with simple family structures and good family traditions. And their family happened to be exactly that kind of family.

Old Master Chen's eyes flickered with unusual brilliance upon hearing this, but he merely said, "Ah, then it seems it won't work. Forget it, forget it, let's not indulge in wishful thinking. We'd better look at other families instead."

The other old men exchanged glances, each harboring their own thoughts.

...

Ye Yaming and Lu Guanyi entered through the gate and then went their separate ways. Lu Guanyi remained in the outer courtyard to seek out his father-in-law and inquire about the teahouse's situation, while Ye Yaming went to the inner courtyard.

Yin Shi looked at her daughter as if seeing a savior and explained the situation, saying, "Back then I thought this shop was too spacious and large, but now I find it's actually too small."

"Have you come up with any ideas about what to do?" Ye Yaming asked.

Yin Shi said, "I was thinking of opening two more branch shops, one in the south city and one in the north city. What do you think?"

When business was good and there were too many customers to accommodate, what should they do? Naturally, open branch shops.

But Yin Shi never felt secure without consulting her daughter, afraid that taking too big a step might lead to trouble. If it caused Princess Yu'an to lose money along with them, that would be troublesome.

Additionally, she had another concern: she would soon have to return to Lin'an. Opening three shops at once, and with Princess Yu'an being accustomed to a life of luxury and never having to work hard—currently helping manage this shop was just for novelty—if she had to manage three shops with frequent problems arising, Yin Shi worried Princess Yu'an might become annoyed.

To earn a little money and risk making the princess displeased with them would be gaining a small advantage only to suffer a greater loss. Her daughter came from a humble background and already faced difficulties navigating the capital—she needed to help her daughter, not hold her back.

After hearing Yin Shi's thoughts, Ye Yaming felt quite comforted. Yin Shi had really grown now, considering issues more and more thoroughly.

She said, "Have you discussed your concerns with Princess Yu'an?"

Yin Shi shook her head: "I wanted to consult with you first before talking to her."

"Then ask her, lay all the problems out before her, and see what she thinks. First tell her that this shop doesn't matter to you, just as it doesn't matter to her—you don't rely on this shop to earn money for food, it's just something to pass the time when bored. Ask Her Highness not to force herself on your account."

Then she added, "If Her Highness still hesitates after hearing what you say, that means she does want to open branch shops. Then tell her that as long as there are capable shopkeepers and housekeepers managing the shops, she won't need to worry too much about them. Haven't you seen how with a teahouse like ours, neither Father nor I manage it personally, but leave it to the shopkeeper?"

Yin Shi's eyes immediately brightened: "Yes, yes."She asked again, "Are you suggesting that Princess Yu'an send a housekeeper to manage it?"

Ye Yaming smiled and nodded, "Yes, exactly. Originally, you had prepared the shopkeeper and the cook, and since you were leading this shop, we used your people. But the branch is mainly managed by Her Highness Princess Yu'an, and she holds seventy percent of the shares, so it's only natural to use her personnel."

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