Even Steward Tong—the old maid—was not spared by the young lady. If even she was dealt with so harshly, then she would certainly show no mercy to anyone else.
Staying in that courtyard was simply courting death!
The old matriarch had already been infuriated by Ye Yunmian. After returning and seeing the useless servants, her anger only grew. She punished them by deducting their monthly wages before letting it go.
All night, the old matriarch remained in a foul mood and could not sleep.
“Fortunately, that wretched girl is already of marriageable age. Now that she has returned to the capital, it’s best to quickly arrange her marriage—preferably before Yuntian! Once she’s married off, I’d like to see whether she can still be as arrogant and unruly as she is now!”
By morning, the old matriarch’s temper had only slightly improved.
Being struck in front of so many people had made her want to tear Ye Yunmian apart.
“That madam is right,” said another maid beside her. “I heard the future son-in-law already has someone in his household—and even has a concubine son. With the young lady’s temper, she definitely won’t be able to tolerate it.”
The old matriarch exhaled. “It’s fortunate she returned in time. Some days ago, the Song family used her long absence from the capital as an excuse to break off the engagement. Now that she’s back—and they see how much wealth she has accumulated—the Song family will likely still take her in for the sake of her dowry. As for how she lives afterward, that will depend on her own fate.”
Back then, the young master of the Song family had taken a liking to her Yunwan girl, but she had refused.
The Song family was the Empress Dowager’s maternal clan, but that young master had neither talent nor appearance. The Empress Dowager was already old; once she passed away, the Song family would inevitably decline compared to other noble houses in the capital.
But at the time, it was inconvenient to refuse outright, so she pushed Ye Yunmian forward instead.
As the eldest daughter of the household, marriage negotiations naturally started with her. Her status was also slightly higher than Yunwan’s, so the Empress Dowager agreed.
Madam Ge now wished nothing more than for Ye Yunmian to marry into the Song family quickly and suffer a little, so she would understand how harsh the world could be.
After all, not every elder was as “lenient” as she was!
The old matriarch had not rested well and felt exhausted. She ate only a little before losing her appetite, though her mood improved slightly after thinking things through.
She was about to take a short nap when another maid entered with a report.
“Old Madam… the Third Young Master went to school today.”
The maid spoke respectfully, not daring to raise her head.
The old matriarch’s eyes turned sharp, her expression tightening. “I truly underestimated that girl. She’s only been back two days, and she already managed to make Qing’er become diligent! Truly impressive!”
Ye Weiqing had always been timid and unwilling to endure criticism. His classmates in the private school were not friendly toward him, so he had never liked going.
Now he suddenly changed his behavior—this must be Ye Yunmian’s doing!
She had not originally objected to Ye Weiqing studying. In her view, a child raised under her watch, even if he studied, would not amount to much.
But she never expected Ye Weiqing to be so intelligent.
So intelligent that he could even surpass her own grandson.
The two boys were close in age and began their education together. At the start, Ye Weiqing progressed extremely quickly—memorizing in hours what her grandson needed days to learn. Even Wei the Confucian scholar had been astonished.
If that were the case, how could he be allowed to continue? He would surely block her grandson’s path!
The old matriarch’s expression darkened. After a moment, she said, “After school, have Qing’er come to pay his respects. These past days he has been far too indulged. Yesterday, Yunmian even killed his uncle’s dog, and he did not even try to stop her. Yunmian has just returned and does not understand the rules, but he has grown up here—how could he not know better?”
Upon hearing this, the maid immediately understood and went to deliver the message.
At that time, Ye Weiqing had gone to school with some reluctance, already prepared to be lectured by Wei the Confucian scholar.
But this time, Wei merely glanced at him and had no reaction at all—in fact, he even praised him for not being late.
Ye Weiqing was confused, yet he still obediently sat down to listen to the lesson.
During class, Wei asked him several simple questions—things he had learned long ago. Though he answered haltingly, Wei still nodded, showing no severity in his expression.
Ye Weiqing felt that something was different.
Why did it feel like the teacher was looking at him with unusual warmth today, while his gaze toward Ye Weiting and the others remained cold and indifferent?
Could it really be as his elder sister said—that Wei the Confucian scholar favored him?
Strange.
“Qing’er, you have not attended school for quite some time. For the next two days, stay in my courtyard and do not go anywhere. I will assess your foundation. Send a servant back to report this so that the old madam will not worry.”
As soon as class ended, Wei spoke again.
The maid outside looked up in surprise, realizing she had waited in vain.
At this point, unless Ye Weiqing strongly refused and ran away from school, the old matriarch could not forcibly take him away from the scholar.
Ye Weiqing hesitated, instinctively wanting to refuse.
But when he met Wei’s kind and expectant gaze, he felt slightly uneasy.
This old man didn’t seem so strict after all. And his elder sister had told him to behave and study well these two days—if he stayed with the teacher, she would definitely praise him when she returned…
Besides, things at home were not peaceful lately.
His second uncle’s dog had just died—who knew if there would be more trouble? If his uncle suddenly came looking for him, what would he do?
Thinking this way, Ye Weiqing felt that staying with the suddenly gentle teacher was actually a good choice.
“Teacher, I promise I won’t go anywhere,” he said immediately, then turned and gave Ye Weiting and the others a shameless smile.
Ye Weiting felt uncomfortable.
Since when did the teacher care so much about him?!
And this foolish third brother—he used to avoid Wei the Confucian like the plague, yet now he suddenly clung to him. Had he gone mad like his sister?
Everyone thought the same.
But Ye Weiqing, fearing trouble due to recent misfortune, did not dare act recklessly. As soon as the teacher left, he immediately followed closely behind, not leaving his side at all to avoid being targeted.
Not long after, the old matriarch received the news and smashed several cups in anger.
“She thinks sending her brother to school will make me unhappy? Such a naïve girl! Someone, go investigate what was discussed in court today. See if anyone impeached the Duke. If not, take my visiting card and invite the wife of the Censor to visit!”
The servants immediately carried out her orders.
At this time, Ye Yunmian had already arrived at Wuyun Temple.
Wuyun Temple was quite large, but very dilapidated.
Many years ago, it had been among the top three Taoist temples in the capital. However, during an earthquake, part of it collapsed. The abbot was also absent from the capital at the time and failed to arrange timely reconstruction, causing incense offerings to gradually decline. Now, it had become a neglected and obscure place.
The reason Ye Yunmian chose to meet here was because she knew the abbot.