Glory

She had just entered the main courtyard moments earlier and hadn't even exchanged more than a few words when Ye Jiaxing and his group returned. She still hadn't figured out what trouble the fourth master had caused. Now was the perfect opportunity to discuss everything together, lest the second branch overthink matters.

Though the second master was honest and uninvolved in household affairs, he was still the legitimate second master of the Ye family. All tea production in the household had to go through his hands. Moreover, the second branch had a Recommended man as a son-in-law—not someone to be underestimated.

Zhang Shi probably understood this too. Twisting her handkerchief, she didn't dare delay further and whispered, "The other day, the fourth master came across a batch of pressed tea. He thought the quality was good and the price particularly low, so he decided to acquire it."

She smoothed her hair, her expression somewhat unnatural. "When we inspected the tea upon receiving it, it seemed fine, so we paid and took it to the tea house to sell. But then customers who bought it came to complain. That's when we discovered only the top few dozen cakes were good—the tea cakes underneath appeared normal on the surface but were moldy inside."

Hearing this, everyone's expressions immediately darkened.

Tao Shi finally understood why Old Madam Ye, who usually doted on her youngest son, had been so furious with Ye Hongrong.

Clenching her teeth, she asked coldly, "The authorities inspect strictly, and the Old Master has repeatedly forbidden the buying and selling of illicit tea. How dare the fourth master do this?"

Zhang Shi stammered, "Wasn't it... wasn't it because he was afraid the funds for purchasing tea wouldn't be enough and wanted to earn more? I heard the fourth master say someone else was competing fiercely for it at the time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so hasty—he would have certainly returned to discuss it with his father and eldest brother."

Tao Shi was too furious to speak.

The court implemented the tea monopoly system. Under this system, estate holders producing tea first received a "capital quota" from the tea plantation bureau. After harvesting and processing, aside from paying taxes and the tea equivalent to the capital quota, the remaining tea had to be entirely sold to the bureau. Merchants buying tea first paid gold or silk to the monopoly affairs office, then used the permit to exchange for tea at the office or designated bureaus.

In other words, tea was officially bought and sold—private transactions were not permitted. Even though the Ye family were estate holders themselves, owning a hundred acres of tea gardens, operating their own tea factory, tea house, and teahouse, and having tea distribution channels, they couldn't directly sell tea from their gardens to their tea house or teahouse. They first had to submit it to the monopoly affairs office. Only after obtaining a certain quantity of tea import permits could they repurchase some for sale in their own establishments.

Through this process, the court and authorities took the lion's share of the profits.

But where there were substantial profits, there were gamblers. In recent years, as official inspections had slackened, many risked breaking the law to trade tea privately.

Old Master Ye, who had built the family business to such scale, was exceptionally shrewd and wise.

He knew others might engage in this trade, but the Ye family, despite their wealth, lacked official backing and couldn't afford the slightest misstep. Thus, he had repeatedly and strictly forbidden his descendants from touching illicit tea.

Now the fourth master had fallen into someone's trap, secretly buying and selling illicit tea behind the family's back, and it had caused a scandal. If not handled properly, the Ye family could face rapid decline.

Thinking of this, Tao Shi wished she could strangle Ye Hongrong.

The second and third branches had no sons; the Ye family's assets belonged to the first and fourth branches, with the first branch holding seventy percent. Now Ye Hongrong was squandering what amounted to the first branch's fortune—how could she not resent him?

Perhaps driven by extreme anger, she abandoned her usual courteous and amiable demeanor, saying bitterly, "How dare you conceal such a major matter? You truly have no regard for consequences."

With that, she turned and left.Ye Yaqing was momentarily stunned, then quickly followed.

Seeing that Tao Shi had left, Zhang Shi immediately shed her previous submissive demeanor, raised her head to glare at Tao Shi’s retreating figure, and without even greeting Yin Shi, turned and walked away with her head held high.

Witnessing this, Yin Shi was so furious her chest heaved up and down. She turned to Ye Yaming and her sister and said, "Let's go." With that, she strode toward the Second Household's quarters. As she walked, her eyes reddened.

Was it because the Second Household had no sons that her mother-in-law looked down on them, and her elder sister-in-law and fourth sister-in-law ignored her?

Thinking of this painful reality, tears welled up in her eyes and began to fall.

With so many people around and the risk of gossip, Ye Yaming refrained from saying anything.

She guided Yin Shi toward the Second Household's courtyard. Once inside, she dismissed the servants before attempting to console her mother. "I suspect Grandmother is trying to keep Fourth Uncle’s matter under wraps. But she also knows how serious this is—if mishandled, the entire Ye family could be ruined. That’s why she called Da Bo’s wife to discuss how to deal with it. Elder Brother just happened to return at the right time. Since Da Bo’s wife already knew, there was no point hiding it from Elder Brother, so Grandmother kept him and sent Da Bo’s wife away. It’s not that she deliberately excluded our Second Household."

By now, Yin Shi had calmed down somewhat. Her concern for the Ye family outweighed her personal grievances.

She asked anxiously, "Will the family be alright? This matter can’t be handled in Jiaxing alone—we must send someone to inform your grandfather."

"Don’t worry, Da Bo’s wife is more worried than anyone about the family’s well-being. By now, the messenger she sent has probably already left."

Yin Shi thought it over and realized this was true, gradually settling down.

After all, when the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up. Old Master Ye was still alive, and the First Household was at the forefront. Since the Second Household had no sons, perhaps they didn’t need to worry too much.

But Ye Yaming’s next words unsettled her again: "Grandfather will surely have to go personally to apologize, buy back the moldy tea cakes, and offer gifts as compensation. This needs to be handled quickly, and he can’t do it alone. With Da Bo away and Elder Brother injured, the only one who can assist him now is Father. Since Father isn’t good with words, I’ll go with him."

"No," Yin Shi instinctively objected.

Although the Great Jin Dynasty didn’t impose too many restrictions on women, they still existed. It was customary for men to handle external affairs while women managed domestic ones. Even in daily business matters, Old Madam Ye and Da Bo’s wife were not allowed to interfere by Ye Chongming and Ye Hongchang.

Let alone a young woman like Ye Yaming, who lived secluded in the inner quarters.

Moreover, even if female involvement were necessary, there were still Old Madam Ye, Tao Shi, and herself. At the very least, Ye Yaqing, as the second sister, should take precedence—there was no reason for Ye Yaming to involve herself in this matter.

"Mother, I want everyone to know that I’m no less capable than a son. At the very least, I want Grandfather to realize that I’m more competent than Fourth Uncle."

"Ming'er..." Yin Shi’s eyes reddened again.

"Besides, after I marry, I’ll have to manage my dowry. If I don’t learn these things now, I might not even realize if someone squanders it all. It’s always good to learn more."

Yin Shi had nothing to say to that.

Although her eldest daughter’s fiancé had once been her father’s student and was supported by the Ye family in his studies and imperial examinations, Song Yifeng was too outstanding. Hadn’t they seen how, since he passed the imperial exams and became a Recommended man, Song Taitai had shed her previous flattering demeanor and started putting on airs? Yin Shi feared her daughter would have a difficult life after marrying into the Song family.

Learning more now would surely be beneficial."Should we send someone to fetch your father?" Yin Shi now clearly regarded Ye Yaming as her pillar of support.

"No need," Ye Yaming replied. "When Grandfather returns tomorrow, he'll send someone to summon him. Taking matters into our own hands would only displease Grandfather and Grandmother unnecessarily."