Chapter 168: Scolding in Anger
Ye Xian wore a wide-sleeved overgown with black trim, a jade belt hanging at his waist, and a gray squirrel fur cloak draped over his shoulders. His face was exquisitely handsome, like jade carved to perfection, and his gaze toward her was indifferent.
Jinchao curtsied and greeted him, "Young Master."
Ye Xian remained silent, his eyes lingering on the brocade box containing the gold anklets in her hand. After a while, he finally spoke, "I only learned yesterday that the granary under your father's jurisdiction in Daxing had an incident." He hadn't returned to the Changxing Marquis residence these past few days, but due to his sister's premature birth, he had hurried back from the Ministry of Justice to visit and happened to hear his father mention this matter. The old Marquis found the resolution somewhat baffling. How had the Gu family managed to fill the deficit of two hundred thousand dan of grain so seamlessly and without a trace?
If they could have done it from the start, why had they sought help from the Changxing Marquis residence? Who had they secretly turned to?
After hearing this, Ye Xian fell silent for a moment before ordering Li Xianhuai to investigate the granary affairs in Tongzhou. Two hundred thousand dan of grain was not something merchants could easily gather—the Gu family's grain must have come from either the Tongzhou granary or the military granaries. However, the military granaries were heavily guarded, making it impossible to transport grain from them.
Yet, no information could be uncovered in Tongzhou. The granary there hadn't even been opened in months.
The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. Who could have orchestrated this so flawlessly? Gu Deyuan and Gu Dezhao certainly couldn't have done it—they lacked the influence and connections to pull grain from the Tongzhou granary to cover the deficit.
The old Marquis hadn't intended for him to know about this, and by the time he found out, the matter had already been resolved quietly. The Marquis mentioned that a certain advisor named Cao Ziheng had alerted the Gu family, but when Ye Xian investigated this man, he discovered he was Gu Jinzhao's accountant and had no prior connection to Sun Shitao. Immediately, his thoughts turned to Gu Jinzhao.
Others might see her as an ordinary young lady of the inner chambers, but he knew just how formidable she was.
When Prince Rui had set a trap to frame the Changxing Marquis for treason, it was Gu Jinzhao's warning that had saved the Marquis's household from disaster.
Jinchao feigned confusion. "What are you talking about, Young Master? I don't understand."
Ye Xian scoffed. "If you won't admit it, fine… I told you before—if you ever needed help, you could come to me. Why didn’t you say a word when your father faced such a crisis?"
Seeing no point in hiding it, Jinchao smiled. "Why bother telling you? The Changxing Marquis residence would have been in a difficult position too."
He was set to be promoted to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice the following year—he must have been very busy already.
Ye Xian said nothing more, and Jinchao curtsied to take her leave.
He stopped her. "...About your cousin." He paused. "I wanted to find you a better marriage prospect. But those young Scholars of the Two Boards observing in the Six Ministries are either from humble backgrounds or come from overly complicated families." None of them were suitable.
Jinchao couldn't help but laugh. "Young Master, you worry too much. Though you are my uncle by marriage… my betrothal is not something you need to concern yourself with!" Most of those young scholars were proud and talented—how could they possibly take a liking to her?
She could easily imagine him strong-arming some poor candidate into agreeing if he found one he deemed suitable.
Seeing her gentle smile, Ye Xian felt his heart soften.
Lazily, he added, "Don’t worry. If no one ends up marrying you… I’ll marry you myself." The last words were barely a whisper.Gu Jinzhao was startled by his words. How could he say such a thing so casually? He was utterly unrestrained… Even teasing her shouldn’t go this far! Swallowing her anger, she said, "Uncle, please don’t make fun of me."
She called him "uncle" again.
Ye Xian smiled faintly, his expression unreadable. "Just a joke. Don’t be angry."
Gu Jinzhao forced a smile, still suppressing her frustration. "Your niece understands."
Only he would dare joke like this!
Ye Xian tucked his hands into his sleeves, watching Gu Jinzhao walk away without blinking.
Fifth Madam accepted the pair of golden anklets Gu Jinzhao had brought for the child. She served her tea and some freshly made sesame pastries. After Jinzhao left, she summoned a maidservant and casually instructed her to store the anklets in the treasury.
A young maid with her hair in double buns quietly entered and whispered a few words into her ear.
Fifth Madam’s face darkened. "Did anyone else see?"
The maid replied softly, "On the polished stone path from the west courtyard to Yanxiu Hall. No one saw."
Suppressing her fury, Fifth Madam said in a low voice, "The heir is in the East Side Room speaking with the marquess’s wife. Go and call him here immediately!"
She could no longer ignore this. With Ye Xian’s reckless nature, he might do something to disgrace both families! By then, it would be too late for her to intervene!
When Ye Xian stepped into the West Side Room, his mind was still elsewhere.
Fifth Madam was furious. "Earlier, you said you were going out for a stroll. What exactly did you do? Explain yourself clearly!"
Seeing his elder sister’s pale complexion—still recovering from her premature childbirth—Ye Xian hesitated and remained silent.
Fifth Madam’s voice trembled with anger. "Since you were a child… you’ve always been like this! When have we ever blamed or restrained you? You didn’t like studying, so Grandfather never forced you to read the classics. Despite your poor health, you loved running around, and did Grandfather ever say a word? But this isn’t just about you—it concerns the reputation of the Changxing Marquis’s household and the Gu family! Even if you like that Gu Jinzhao, it’s unacceptable. Her terrible reputation aside, meeting you in secret proves she’s no virtuous woman. With her status and conduct, how could she ever be worthy of the heir to the Changxing Marquis’s family?"
His elder sister had never been so harsh with him before, and a flicker of anger rose in Ye Xian’s heart.
His mother, Gao Shi, had said the same thing. She’d told him: Gu Jinzhao wasn’t even fit to be his concubine!
Did they look down on her so much? Were they so obsessed with the prosperity of the Changxing Marquis’s household?
They had no idea that without Gu Jinzhao, the Changxing Marquis’s household might have already turned to ashes.
Ye Xian said calmly, "Elder Sister, I am now a fifth-rank Grand Court Minister of the Dali Temple."
Fifth Madam scoffed. "So because you’re a Grand Court Minister, I can’t discipline you anymore? Even if you become a grand secretary or a chancellor, you’ll still be my younger brother!"
She harbored strong disapproval toward Gu Jinzhao. Last time, when Madam Feng suggested that Gu Jinzhao take the blame for Gu Lian’s mistake, she had found it unjust but said nothing. Even if Ye Xian was at fault, as a young woman, Gu Jinzhao was far too indiscreet!Ye Xian shook his head and said to Fifth Madam, "Elder Sister, I know what I'm doing. And some things are not for you to comment on." The prosperity of the Changxing Marquisate came from his father and grandfather's bravery in battle. But for him, he disliked violence and bloodshed. He preferred killing without a trace—his nature was cold and detached, making him all the more adept at manipulating others' thoughts.
He was born for such schemes and intrigues.
Ye Xian said indifferently, "And what I want is something no one can stop. If I truly wished to marry her, what difficulty would there be in arranging a status for her? Do you believe me if I say that as soon as I propose it, Old Madam Gu would eagerly send her to me? I could fabricate any identity for her and have her marry me with full honors. The reason I haven't done this isn't because I'm concerned about anything... it's simply because I don't want to yet!"
Fifth Madam was so furious she couldn't speak.
She knew all too well what kind of person Madam Feng was. For the sake of Gu Lian's marriage prospects, she had even abandoned all sense of right and wrong. This woman was shortsighted, caring only for the prosperity of the Gu family. She truly might do such a thing!
"...Do you not care about the Changxing Marquisate at all? Even if you won't listen to your elder sister, what about Mother? Father? Where do you place them? Do you want the century-old foundation of the Changxing Marquisate to be destroyed by your hands?"
Ye Xian only laughed coldly in response. "If we had truly followed your advice, the Changxing Marquisate would already be ruined." He picked up the crystal vase from the heated bed table, idly toying with it as he said casually, "Elder Sister, your health is weak now. You should rest well. I'll visit you again tomorrow."
"Consider these words unheard..."
The crystal vase was carelessly placed back on the side table as Ye Xian walked out of the room.
Fifth Madam thought about his earlier words, her heart trembling with fear, yet feeling utterly powerless.
Nanny Fan entered carrying a bowl of pigeon soup with gastrodia, only to find Fifth Madam sitting on the heated bed, her face streaked with tears. Startled, she hurried over. "Fifth Madam, what's wrong... you mustn't cry during your confinement month!" She took out a silk handkerchief to wipe Fifth Madam's face.
Fifth Madam murmured, "With his temperament, he'll surely bring about great disaster in the future... utterly lawless!"
She realized now how wrong the Changxing Marquisate had been to spoil Ye Xian all these years.
Now, when his wings weren't even fully grown, he dared to disregard her warnings. When the day came that he fully controlled the Changxing Marquisate, who would dare say a word against him?
Li Xianhuai, waiting outside, draped a cloak over Ye Xian's shoulders. Ye Xian remained silent. Why did Gu Jinzhao have to suffer such undeserved insults? Every time they met, it was always at his invitation. She was such a good person—why did everyone feel the need to criticize her? Even his own elder sister thought this way. What about others?
Thinking of Gu Jinzhao's faint smile, as if undisturbed by these matters, he felt an indistinct discomfort in his heart.
If she weren't completely accustomed to it, completely indifferent, how could she not care?
Initially, the Gu family had even wanted to marry her off to someone like Wang Zan... She was also a legitimate daughter of the Gu family. Look at how Gu Lian was raised, then look at her. Their favoritism was truly excessive.
Even if he really did want to marry Gu Jinzhao, so what? What he chose to do was no one else's business!
As if not marrying some noblewoman from a prestigious family would cause the Changxing Marquisate to fall into decline!Li Xianhuai whispered beside him, "Young Master, the case involving the Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Zhang Ling, has been clarified. The thirty-odd people on that merchant ship in the canal back then weren't killed by bandits—it was because the ship merchants were smuggling salt and silenced everyone aboard when they were discovered. Lord Zhang accepted a hundred taels of gold from the salt smugglers to fabricate evidence and cover up the matter..."
Ye Xian said coldly, "He's one of Wang Xuanfan's men. At worst, he'll be dismissed from office for the wrongful convictions... That alone isn't enough. Since he's colluding with salt smugglers, he must be involved in the transportation and trade of illegal salt. Investigate thoroughly. Only if we can prove his direct involvement in smuggling can we ensure he never recovers."
No one would dare suppress charges for salt smuggling.
Chen Xianhuai acknowledged the order and lifted the carriage curtain for Ye Xian to enter.
PS: Regarding readers' concerns about slow updates—my grandfather had an accident, and I'm in the middle of midterm exams for all subjects. It's been extremely busy; just maintaining daily updates has been difficult. Once this period passes, I'll resume normal extra updates without fail!
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