Now, even Old Master Lin looked at the actions of Ye Weiqing’s elder sister in demanding repayment with deep disdain.
A man who was both incompetent and petty—how could he ever deserve his obedient daughter?
Lin Mianmian indeed couldn’t bear to part with the eighteen-piece white jade set. When her father spoke, she acted coquettishly and happily agreed, then sent her eldest and second brothers to gather the silver.
Of course, she also did not forget to take out the other gifts Ye Weiqing had once given her.
At this point, the other families in the capital were experiencing the same thing. Having debt collectors arrive at their doors in such a manner was utterly humiliating.
The He and Li families were not major powers in the capital. Seeing how much their children owed, the elders were furious—but they had no choice but to prepare the silver and send it to the Duke’s residence.
…
By nightfall, the silver was neatly lined up in rows.
“Clang—clang—clang!”
The Lin family even sent a group of people beating gongs and drums as they brought the payment over.
Many people, hearing the commotion, came out to watch the excitement. When they reached the gates of the Duke’s residence, the messengers loudly announced:
“Please inform the eldest Miss Ye that all the silver she requested has been fully returned! Back then, the Duke of State was overly enthusiastic in forming friendships and forcibly gifted items, which indeed caused our young lady some trouble. Now that Miss Ye has spoken, our young lady is naturally willing to comply. However, our young lady has never liked such vulgar money and goods; they’ve collected quite a bit of dust in storage. When Miss Ye takes them back, do remember to dust them off.”
After speaking, they struck the drums again.
They repeated the message several times, clearly intent on letting the entire world see Ye Yunmian’s supposed pettiness—and the Duke of State’s past “humility” and taste.
Ye Yunmian came out as soon as she heard the commotion.
Hearing this, she did not become angry.
She simply walked forward calmly, her gaze sweeping over the items, and smiled.
“My eldest brother is a practical man; the items he gives are always of the highest quality. Take for example that eighteen-piece jade set carved with the Nine-Star Ringing Moon design—who wouldn’t want to take a closer look? It’s only natural that Miss Lin would prefer to keep it at home for appreciation.”
The other items had indeed all been returned—only that jade set was missing.
It seemed Lin Mianmian truly couldn’t bear to part with it.
That set of jade pieces was now worth far more than it had been in the past. The master carver had already passed away, and there were very few comparable works on the market. If sold now, the price could easily double.
As soon as she mentioned it, many people began to look around.
The Lin family had placed everything on display—but that treasure was nowhere to be seen.
Miss Lin had a very good reputation, even praised by the imperial household.
But now, seeing this behavior from the Lin family, people couldn’t help but feel that she might not be as indifferent to wealth as she appeared.
Moreover, over the past two years there had been rumors that the Duke of State was hopelessly devoted to Miss Lin, while she disdained him completely. But if that were truly the case, why had she accepted so many valuable gifts?
If she hadn’t dared refuse back then, what about now?
The Duke’s household had come to collect their property, yet the Lin family still refused to return the jade. If that wasn’t greed, what was it?
Of course, the onlookers did not dare say this aloud. Everyone knew Miss Lin was destined to become a royal consort. The Suwang Prince was utterly devoted to her; last year, when a beggar touched her clothes while begging, the prince had his hands cut off.
So no one dared speak ill of her.
The Lin family wanted to refute it, but they were in the wrong and could only force themselves to speak.
“That jade set was placed in a corner of our storeroom and may have been damaged due to negligence. We did not expect Miss Ye to ask for gifts back. Our young lady originally intended to return items of equivalent value, but feared the Duke’s household might be in urgent need of money, so we brought silver instead.”
Ye Yunmian inwardly approved of the servant’s quick tongue.
Soon after, the He family’s messenger also spoke up.
“Our master did not know our young master had received many favors from Young Master Ye. He specifically asked me to inform you that we will strictly discipline him in the future and ensure he will no longer mislead Young Master Ye.”
Though polite on the surface, the message was essentially a warning: Ye Weiqing would no longer have anyone to play with.
It seemed his useless temperament was well known throughout the capital.
“Indeed, such a young master should be properly disciplined. How improper it is to treat my younger brother as a provider of food and clothing. My brother is not even married yet—how could he possibly support so many unworthy people?”
With that, Ye Yunmian raised her hand.
“Steward Liang, have them move the items back.”
Steward Liang immediately arranged for people to act.
The families had deliberately brought silver to embarrass her.
But the sight of piles of gleaming silver being moved into the residence was overwhelming.
Ye Yunmian had a chair brought out and sat down calmly, inspecting each incoming payment against the account book and marking it off one by one. Every household had to wait their turn.
“What are you doing?!” the Old Madam finally arrived, her face dark and unpleasant.
She was supported on both sides, appearing weak and ill.
“Collecting debts,” Ye Yunmian replied with a smile. “Since you’re here, that’s even better. Second Uncle, Second Aunt, and all the cousins have been using my brother’s seal to withdraw silver over the years, leaving the accounts in chaos. They’ve been taking monthly stipends from the common funds and also extracting tens of thousands of taels from my elder and younger brothers’ private property. Over time, so many assets have gone missing. Where exactly did they all go?”
The Old Madam nearly fainted at those words.
“You—you wretched girl! How dare you slander your elders! Is this what your maternal family taught you?” she shouted angrily.
The surrounding guests all lowered their heads but pricked up their ears, eager to hear more—as if hearing more scolding would earn them reward later.
Ye Yunmian remained calm.
“Why are you so angry? I’m only concerned about the second branch. Isn’t it strange that so many of them have been taking money from the public accounts? And I also heard that Second Aunt’s family brother was promoted these past two years—could it be that silver was used to grease the wheels?”
“Oh, and there are also quite a few missing items from my parents’ private collection: a celadon lotus vase, a pair of sapphire-gold leaf earrings, a string of gilded silk lantern beads, and five volumes of books—one of them being calligraphy by a master of the previous dynasty… I wonder where all of these went…”
Everything she listed had indeed been taken by the second branch.
With every item she mentioned, the Old Madam’s face grew darker.
She had never expected this girl to be so reckless—completely disregarding family dignity and throwing everything out in front of outsiders.
“You disaster bringing ruin to the household!” the Old Madam pointed at her—and then collapsed to the ground with a thud.
“Old Madam!” Chaos erupted instantly.
Ye Yunmian exhaled lightly, stood up, and walked over. She checked the Old Madam’s eyelids and immediately understood the situation.