Glory

The name Meng Chengwei was something Ye Hongchang overheard while Ye Chongming was speaking with Qi Zhifu. Knowing it wasn't the place for discussion, he kept silent.

Once home, he could no longer restrain himself. Following Ye Chongming to the outer study, he urgently asked, "Father, who is Meng Chengwei? From what you said, did he send people to ambush and kill me? Why would he do that? Does our family have a feud with him?"

Ye Chongming gave a bitter smile. Though his son looked pale and exhausted, he was at least holding up. Besides, if this matter wasn't clarified, Ye Hongchang would likely be unable to rest and recover peacefully.

He then explained the entire situation to Ye Hongchang in detail. Of course, Ye Yaming's name came up repeatedly in the process.

Ye Hongchang was utterly shocked. "You mean he wanted to cooperate with our family, so he resorted to harming us?"

Ye Chongming nodded.

Ye Hongchang was speechless.

What kind of logic was that?

If Meng Chengwei wanted to cooperate with the Ye family, shouldn't he have treated them well? Why harm them instead?

Yet, he had to admit that if they hadn't seen through Meng Chengwei's schemes from the start—if they had allowed Ye Jiaxing to befriend Meng Chengwei and later accepted his "help" during repeated crises—the entire Ye family would likely have regarded Meng Chengwei as a benefactor by now, willingly sharing all their tea-making techniques with him.

Though Meng Chengwei's methods were despicable, vicious, and ruthless, they were far more effective than if he had initially shown goodwill and deliberately sought friendship. In the latter case, the Ye family would have been suspicious, thinking, "Unwarranted kindness is either deceptive or malicious," and would have been on guard against him. That approach would have required Meng Chengwei to spend three to five years of painstaking effort to gain the Ye family's trust.

Realizing that the Ye family had foiled Meng Chengwei's schemes entirely thanks to Ye Yaming, Ye Hongchang felt both grateful and curious about his niece.

"Was it really Ming'er who gave the warning? Did she really come up with so many ideas and even create Osmanthus Tea?" Recalling what his father had told him, Ye Hongchang found it hard to believe.

Was this the same third niece he remembered?

In his memory, Ye Yaming was a sensible and well-mannered child, raised well by his second brother and his wife. But she was still just an ordinary girl living within the household, similar to his own daughter, Ye Yaqing.

This was completely different from the shrewd and almost cunning Ye Yaming his father described.

Perhaps, as his father had said, with no major events occurring in the family, she had no reason to step forward and reveal her abilities?

"Exactly. If I hadn't experienced each incident myself and heard her analyses and suggestions with my own ears, I would have doubted it too, just like you."

Ye Chongming chuckled, leaning back slightly, his entire body relaxing.

Although Meng Chengwei had not yet been brought to justice, with Ye Hongchang's safe return—one shoe finally dropping—the Tea Silver unharmed, and Meng Chengwei now on the government's blacklist, it was only a matter of time before he faced punishment. The tension that had been gripping Ye Chongming's heart suddenly eased.

But just for a moment. He then straightened up, his expression turning serious as he looked at Ye Hongchang."It was Ming'er who reminded me that Meng Chengwei might target you and the Tea Silver, and it was also her who had me invite Guan Canghai and others to assist you. Worried that the Tea Silver might be robbed and cause major issues when we pre-order tea leaves during the Mid-Autumn Festival, she suggested I seek out your cousin and borrow from the bank while issuing tea currency."

"Now that you've returned safely and the Tea Silver wasn't stolen, whether we should still borrow silver from Mei Jia or issue tea currency, I need to discuss it with her."

As Ye Chongming spoke, he observed his son's expression.

If Ye Hongchang showed displeasure, feeling that his status and authority in the family had been overshadowed by Ye Yaming, it would truly put him, as the head of the Ye family, in a difficult position.

On one hand, he regarded his granddaughter as his pillar of support, believing Ye Yaming's sharp insight and depth of thought surpassed Ye Hongchang's. Without consulting her on matters, he dared not act rashly, fearing any oversight might bring disaster upon the Ye family.

On the other hand, Ye Hongchang was his successor, the next head of the Ye family, his carefully cultivated son in whom he placed great hopes.

No matter how capable Ye Yaming was, it was Ye Hongchang, as the adult male, who would uphold the family's honor.

If the two could not coexist harmoniously and work together, he truly wouldn't know how to balance their relationship.

Fortunately, Ye Hongchang's character was beyond doubt.

He also noticed his father's seemingly "surreptitious" but actually deliberate observation.

He smiled and said, "Father, are you worried that I might be jealous of Ming'er, feeling she has stolen my thunder?"

Ye Chongming replied candidly, "Yes, I am very concerned."

Some things needed to be said openly. Without holding back, he shared Old Madam Ye's concerns with Ye Hongchang.

Ye Hongchang shook his head and smiled, "Father, you raised me. How could my character be so flawed?"

"Rest assured. Not to mention, if it weren't for Ming'er's reminder and your decision to send Guan Canghai to assist me, I might not be sitting here talking to you now. One could even say Ming'er is my savior—how could I resent her excellence?"

"Moreover, Hongsheng and I are full brothers; we are one family. I am not particularly sharp, and Jiaxing isn't outstanding either. Whenever I think about this, I feel anxious, worried that I might not be able to maintain the Ye family's current status and prosperity, becoming a disgrace to the family. Now that we have such a remarkable junior in the family, I am overjoyed—how could I possibly resent her?"

Ye Chongming believed these words. His son had always been generous and kind-hearted. This was surely his true feelings.

"You, I'm not worried about. I'm only concerned about your wife and Jiaxing," Ye Chongming said. "You'll need to guide them properly. Even after your mother and I pass away, and even if you separate from the second branch, you are still one family. Supporting each other is far better than standing alone."

"Additionally, Ming'er has helped the family overcome difficulties and even created the Osmanthus Tea. When it comes to dividing the family assets or her marriage, I plan to allocate more to the second branch or to her. Do you have any objections to that?""No objections," Ye Hongchang shook his head. "Father, rest assured. Though I may be foolish, I understand what matters most. I'm fully aware of how important Second Brother and Ming'er are to the Ye family. It's just Fourth Brother... I'll have to trouble you and Mother to guide him more diligently. We absolutely cannot let him cause any more trouble."

"I will," Ye Chongming also intended to devote himself to disciplining his fourth son once these matters were settled.

Currently, Ye Hongrong was recuperating in the rear courtyard after being beaten, so there was no immediate concern about him causing trouble. But what about the future?

Even if he wasn't put in charge of family businesses, with deliberate schemes against unprepared minds, whether it was Meng Chengwei or someone else who intended to exploit Ye Hongrong, they could indeed create incidents.

Ye Hongrong could be considered the Ye family's weakest link. This shortcoming must be addressed.