Chapter 2 Past

Ye Xinyan looked at the woman but felt no warmth in her heart.

It was due to this not-so-clever woman, stimulated by the heir of Duke An and Maternal Aunt Liu, had completely forgotten her originally gentle nature, insisting on suppressing Maternal Aunt Liu in Duke's Mansion, which ultimately led to the ruin of her only daughter.

Since she was young, whatever the daughter said was right, and whatever she wanted, she got. She spoiled the original host into being lazy and gluttonous, who was neither ambitious nor clever but instead developed a nasty and stupid temperament. Aside from a passable appearance, there was not a single redeeming quality about her.

And yet, at this moment, she begins to blame those who served her.

Ye Xinyan knew the cause and effect of everything.

Nanny Jin, who served the original host closely, vehemently disagreed with setting up this trap and advised against it many times. Annoyed, she had Nanny Jin sent away.

The two maids who served her intimately, inexperienced as they were, had followed the original host in her arrogance and ignorance, thus they just did as she wanted, resulting in the current situation.

In hindsight, it was all because of what Ye Xinyan herself had done; it was not the fault of the maids or old woman servants.

Ye Xinyan frowned and said, "This matter is no one else's fault. It is all because of the daughter's own doing. Mother, please have someone bring Nanny Jin and the other two back."

The wife of the heir apparent, tears still in her eyes, refused firmly with her brows furrowed, "No! The matter is still at a peak; it's not good to make things worse. Otherwise, none of these servants who follow you in this courtyard can stay, they all must die."

Thinking of the life her only daughter would lead in the future, the wife of the heir apparent could not stop feeling heartbroken.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, she cried, "Ah Yan, do you realize, your entire life has been ruined by these servants. Their lowly lives can't even begin to compare with the pain you've suffered."

How could she blame the maids and old woman servants for this? What kind of notions had the original host's absurd mother instilled in her child?

Ye Xinyan thought of the lives the original host had callously ended and involuntarily shivered.

Banking on the wife of the heir apparent's love for her daughter, Ye Xinyan insisted stubbornly, "I don't care, I am accustomed to using them. You must bring them back quickly. If they are executed by beating, your daughter won't want to live either."

The wife of the heir apparent looked at Ye Xinyan, somewhat puzzled, sensing that her daughter's behavior that day was unusual compared to the past. After all, when had her highborn daughter ever cared about the life and death of a few servants?

Yet, a longstanding habit stopped her from opposing her daughter.

"You, my child, they are merely a few wretched lives; what do their lives and deaths have to do with you? You mustn't speak such inauspicious words again," she said.

Impatiently, Ye Xinyan urged, "Mother, please hurry, I am supposed to go to the ancestral temple, am I not? That place is already gloomy and bad luck; I must have a few people around me that I can easily work with."

"Alright, alright, alright." Seeing that her daughter was about to lose her temper, the wife of the heir apparent hastily agreed repeatedly and turned to instruct the stewardess to retrieve the people from the punishment room quickly.

As the stewardess went off to carry out the task, the wife of the heir apparent murmured nonstop with tears, lamenting how Ye Xinyan was going to live her future days.

Ye Xinyan did not dare to scrutinize the furnishings in the room, only lowering her head, silently listening to the wife of the heir apparent's relentless prattle, all the while suppressing the shock in her heart.

Had she just had a dream and now she couldn't go back? Turned into this? Wasn't this situation too terrifying?

Although she was reluctant to believe in this bizarre event, her clear memory of the original host's past life could not be faked. The clear and real scenes made her doubt whether her memories of that other life were perhaps the true dream.

......

Yesterday was the sixtieth birthday of Ye Tang from Duke An's family, and the birthday banquet was held with great pomp. There were many guests who attended to offer their congratulations.

When Ye Xinyan's half-sister plotted against her, she had no intention to keep the matter contained. Therefore, before the incident occurred, Maternal Aunt Liu had already arranged for all the maids and old woman servants, determined to spread Ye Xinyan's scandal as soon as it happened.

The wife of the heir apparent learned of the situation and ordered to seal the news, but by then, the servants and guests who knew had already scattered in all directions. Ye Xinyan's scandal spread with a strange speed, becoming well-known to everyone very quickly.

From the wife of the heir apparent's account, it was learned that Ye Xinyan's husband, Jiang Yifan, unsurprisingly, came to know soon enough that she was entangled with a naked man at Duke's Mansion.

Upon hearing of his wife's scandal, Jiang Yifan did not react with the shock, anger, and embarrassment everyone expected; he only stared blankly at first, then quickly calmed down.

Then with a heavy heart, he stated that he had always admired the sages since childhood, and always held courtesy, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame as his guiding principles in life. He simply could not condone his wife's actions and hoped everyone could understand his dilemma.

The audience cast unusual glances at this grandson-in-law of Duke's Mansion. Was he not planning to acknowledge the legitimate granddaughter of Duke An as his wife? This young man was quite bold.

Moreover, he specifically mentioned courtesy, righteousness, integrity, and shame. Instantly, it dawned on the attendees that as the person involved, Ye Xinyan, a woman from a prestigious family, would probably take her own life out of honor if she had even a shred of dignity after such a scandal.

So, given the stance Jiang Yifan took on this matter, although Duke An was angered, he truly had nothing else to say.

Despite the veiled threats from the wife of the heir apparent, Jiang Yifan, though looking dispirited and coming from an ordinary gentry family, refused to compromise on a matter of principle. He expressed sorrowfully that he would rather abandon his office and return to the countryside to farm than let his family suffer dishonor. His words did not hide his intention to sever all ties with Ye Xinyan at all costs.

Ye Xinyan listened to the wife of the heir apparent recounting the events of that day through gritted teeth, and cursing Jiang Yifan. Her mind was filled with memories of her past life and the unbearable married life she had led with Jiang Yifan since their wedding.

Ye Xinyan's mother came from Marquis Zhongyong's Mansion and was the legitimate eldest daughter of the household.

When the Ye and Yin families intermarried, Madam Yin was considered to have married up. High-status women marrying into low status was normal, but the issue was that Ye Hongyang, the heir of Duke An, did not favor Madam Yin but adored Maternal Aunt Liu, who was Ye Xinyi's birth mother.

Over the years, despite Madam Yin employing numerous tactics, she could never get the upper hand as Maternal Aunt Liu was protected by the heir, and Madam Yin herself was not very shrewd. Consequently, she ended up with only one daughter, while Maternal Aunt Liu gave birth to two sons and a daughter without much trouble.

Because Madam Yin could not win against Maternal Aunt Liu and had only one daughter, she poured all her energy into pampering her. She was exceedingly indulgent towards her daughter. Whatever Madam Yin had authority over in the mansion, Ye Xinyan could do as she pleased. Except for Duke An, his wife, and the heir, everyone in the mansion had to step aside for Ye Xinyan.

It could be said that Madam Yin could only find some satisfaction in pressing Maternal Aunt Liu down by half a notch through Ye Xinyan.

However, Maternal Aunt Liu was not only beautiful but also clever, and knew how to gauge the situation well. Despite constantly provoking Madam Yin overtly and covertly over the days, causing endless grievances for Madam Yin, Maternal Aunt Liu would take a step back with her three children before Ye Xinyan, giving way generously and allowing Madam Yin and Ye Xinyan to save face.

On the other hand, Maternal Aunt Liu strictly disciplined her two sons and a daughter.

It goes without saying for the sons, as they can't be compared.

Take her daughter Ye Xinyi for example—even though she was born from a concubine, her skills in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, needlework, and deportment were outstanding. Moreover, with the unwavering support from her father, Duke's Heir Apparent, who spared no expense, she was leagues above Ye Xinyan, who was no brighter than a bag of hammers.

Which is what caused Ye Xinyan to harbor jealousy and constantly target her half-sister.

Three years ago, when Ye Xinyan was fourteen, she took a fancy to the newly selected Imperial Scholar, Jiang Yifan.

At that time, Jiang Yifan had just turned twenty and was strikingly noticeable among a group of older, middle-aged, and younger Imperial Scholars who had taken the exam for who knows how many years. He was the youngest of that year's selected Imperial Scholars. With a tall and slender frame and handsome features, he immediately captured Ye Xinyan's heart.

After seeing Jiang Yifan in the street, Ye Xinyan went back and threw a tantrum with Madam Yin, insisting on marrying Jiang Yifan.

On Jiang Yifan's side, he had a clan uncle who held a minor seventh-grade official position in the capital, and the Jiang Family in Cloud Central Province often relied on this clan uncle's support. Upon hearing such good news, the uncle naturally did his best to facilitate the match, not even asking for Jiang Yifan's opinion and immediately finalizing the marriage between him and the legitimate granddaughter of the Duke's Mansion.