Glory

Princess Yu'an was an extremely good person. Although she was six years older than Lu Zhongyong, she remained gentle, virtuous, considerate, and beautiful.

After experiencing someone like Shi Shi, having Princess Yu'an by his side might be a good thing for Lu Zhongyong.

Moreover, if the imperial marriage could put the emperor at ease regarding Lu Zhongyong, that would be even better. For a great general, it is a truly sorrowful thing to sacrifice oneself for righteousness and serve the country with utmost loyalty, only to still be suspected by the emperor.

Yiwu finally said, "Our comrades who entered the marquis' estate as servants heard that someone intended to harm you, Madam, and volunteered to help. After seeking the young master's permission, I assigned some of them to guard you in various disguises. They are all trusted by the young master and are familiar to you, Madam. If they appear by your side, please do not be too surprised."

"Very well, thank you for your efforts," Ye Yaming nodded.

"It is only because you have been kind to them, Madam. They are merely repaying a fraction of your kindness," Yiwu said sincerely.

Many of the soldiers and their family members who went to the marquis' estate as servants were clumsy and struggled with their tasks. As long as they did not make any fundamental mistakes, Ye Yaming never held it against them and even showed concern for them. For those who were ill, she would pay for their medical treatment.

Most importantly, she treated them with sufficient respect.

"I will return from the mountain in three days. After that, I will stay at the Lu residence and no longer live at the Ye mansion," Ye Yaming said.

Yiwu breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Madam."

The Ye family was large, and the situation was complicated. The Lu residence, on the other hand, was simple, making it easier for them to protect Ye Yaming. He had been struggling with whether to bring this up with her, but to his surprise, she had taken the initiative to propose it herself.

"In that case, I will make all the necessary arrangements over the next few days," he said.

Ye Yaming stayed at the Tea Garden villa for another three days before taking a carriage down the mountain.

After arriving safely at the Lu residence, Ye Yaming bathed and had a meal. Then, Ziyuan informed her that Yiwu had something to report.

"Send him in quickly," Ye Yaming said, knowing that there must be news.

Yiwu entered and came straight to the point. "Madam, Shi Shi is dead."

With a clatter, the book in Ye Yaming's hand fell to the floor.

"What did you just say?"

"Shi Shi, the second young master's mother, is dead."

Ye Yaming was still in shock. "How did she die?"

"They say she accidentally fell while descending a flight of stairs, hit her head on a protruding step, and passed away after being unconscious for several days."

Ye Yaming narrowed her eyes slightly. "Was it Princess Consort Zhennan's doing? Did she try to pin the blame on me and the eldest young master?"

"That was originally Princess Consort Zhennan's plan. However, the eldest young master altered it. The old maidservant's testimony pointed to the three Chu siblings, claiming they no longer wanted to be associated with the Shi family, but Shi Shi clung to them relentlessly, constantly sending people to pressure them into targeting others. Chu Yuehua, in particular, did not want Lu Guanyu to have such a mother, as long as Shi Shi lived, he would never have a future. They threatened the old maidservant by targeting her son, forcing her to take action against Shi Shi."

"To whom did the maidservant confess?"

"Although Shi Shi had returned to her hometown, she was effectively under house arrest. She was not allowed to leave Yu County and was under surveillance by the local authorities. After her death, the officials immediately reported it to the county magistrate. The magistrate investigated and traced it back to the old maidservant. After confessing to the magistrate, the maidservant killed herself by crashing into a wall."In the past, Ye Yaming wouldn't have been particularly affected by such news. Shi Shi had brought it upon herself; that old woman, controlled by others, wouldn't come to a good end either. Moreover, since she hadn't caused anyone's death, she had no reason to feel emotional.

But now, perhaps because she was pregnant, hearing that two people who had been living perfectly well had died due to such sinister schemes made her feel heavy-hearted and uncomfortable.

"Has the news reached the capital? What's the reaction there?"

"Shi Shi passed away the evening before yesterday. Our people received the news yesterday and rushed to deliver it. We don't know the subsequent developments yet, but I will keep an eye on the situation."

Ye Yaming let out a long sigh. "It seems we don't need to be too tense anymore. The blame is pointing towards the Chu siblings, so no one should come after us."

Yi Wu looked admiring. "Yes, the Young Master's move was truly brilliant."

Ye Yaming nodded, feeling a sudden sense of relief.

It had to be said, having someone handle problems for her while she simply reaped the benefits felt absolutely wonderful.

"Still, we can't let our guard down. Who knows if the Second Young Master might go mad when he returns from the border to attend the funeral? We should remain cautious," Yi Wu said.

After all, Madam was pregnant. If anything happened to her, even death wouldn't absolve him of his guilt.

"Alright, you handle the arrangements. Keep me informed of any news."

"Yes."

Not long after Yi Wu left, Ye Chongming arrived.

"Has something happened?" he asked as soon as he saw her.

Ye Hongsheng was still up in the mountains, overseeing the production of Pre-Rain Tea before coming down. Ye Yaming had descended alone.

Since she had been gone for so long and hadn't returned to Ye Jia, instead sending for him, something must have occurred.

On his way over, Ye Chongming had been wondering if his eldest daughter-in-law had offended Ye Yaming, making her unwilling to return to Ye Jia.

Ye Yaming smiled at him first. "It's nothing."

After Qingzhi served tea and left, she told Ye Chongming about Shi Shi's death.

Ye Chongming was utterly shocked and asked, "Do you need to handle this matter?"

His mind didn't dwell on conspiracies. He only thought that since Shi Shi had once been Lu Zhongyong's wife and was Lu Guanyu's birth mother, and now that she was dead, with the three Lu men all at the border, shouldn't Ye Yaming, as the only daughter-in-law of the Lu family remaining inland, help manage the funeral arrangements?

But Ye Yaming was pregnant.

"No, no," Ye Yaming quickly shook her head. "She is neither Madam Lu nor Lu Guanyi's birth mother. She has nothing to do with me—why should I bother with her affairs?"

Only then did Ye Chongming feel relieved.

"Then why didn't you return home and came straight here to stay instead?" he asked, puzzled.

Ye Yaming didn't want Ye Chongming to worry, but if she didn't explain clearly, he would only imagine the worst.

So she said, "With Shi Shi dead like this, Lu Guanyu will have to return for the funeral. Lu Guanyi is worried that he might suspect Shi Shi was killed on his orders and could go mad seeking revenge against me, so he sent some people to protect me."

"Our family's residence is large, with many people and complicated affairs, and we lack vigilance, making it easy for others to take advantage. So Lu Guanyi advised me to stay here for now. I'll return to Ye Jia after Lu Guanyu handles the funeral and goes back to the border."

Hearing this, Ye Chongming's heart tightened, his face filled with concern.Ye Yaming quickly comforted him: "Ever since I got pregnant, A Yi has been overly anxious. In my opinion, even if Lu Guanyu goes mad, he wouldn't target me. After all, there's no conflict between us. And if anything really happened to me, it wouldn't affect A Yi much—he could just remarry. So Lu Guanyu has no reason to come after me."

Though her words bordered on impropriety, the logic behind them was indeed sound.