The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Making a Fool of Oneself

”Yan, what have you found on your end?” Ye Chutang asked again.

Ye Jingyan had also finished looking through three years of ledgers by now. He shook his head. ”There are problems here, too. Two years ago, there was a blizzard, and the fields yielded nothing. But last year and this year, the weather has been perfect, yet the rent collected is still minimal. I suspect the people managing it aren’t clean.”

Ye Chutang nodded. She wasn’t surprised.

What she was concerned about was—

”We’ll have to find a chance to see where the money is leaking. If it’s just the subordinates lining their own pockets, that’s easy to deal with. We can just punish and replace them. But if someone higher up ordered it...”

Ye Heng was usually busy with his own affairs and had limited energy for these matters. Mrs. Gao was basically the one who handled everything.

It remained to be seen whose fault it truly was.

Ye Jingyan understood immediately and gave a slight nod. ”I understand.”

The land deeds weren’t in their hands, which made it inconvenient to act. But at least they had gone through the accounts and gotten a general grasp of the situation.

”Put these account books away. We’ll return them the day after tomorrow.”

In Ye Heng’s eyes, Ye Chutang was a woman raised in the sheltered inner quarters. Although she had gained some experience while away these past few years, she surely had only a superficial understanding of matters concerning shop and farmland accounts.

Her brothers, Ye Jingyan and Ye Yunfeng, were only twelve or thirteen, so he figured they wouldn’t understand much either.

As for Xiao Wu, there was even less to say. He was just a clueless little child.

Therefore, it would surely take Ye Chutang a long time to go through these two boxes of account books by herself.

Ye Chutang decided to play along and go with his assumptions.

...

「Three days later.」

Ye Chutang took Yan and A Feng to return the two boxes of account books early in the morning.

Ye Heng was just about to leave for morning court and was rather surprised to see them.

”You’re done already?”

That was three years of account books for over a dozen shops! And on top of that, the income and expense ledgers for a hundred acres of prime farmland!

Ye Chutang nodded lightly. ”I’ve skimmed through them. The situation is just as you said, Second Uncle. The deficit is considerable.”

Ye Heng scoffed inwardly.

’She insisted on seeing them, so I let her. It’s not like she could figure anything out anyway!’

”I’m usually busy with official duties and have neglected managing these things. Your second aunt has long said we need to find a solution, as we can’t keep losing money like this, right? But she hasn’t been well these past few days, so it’s been delayed again.”

Ye Heng sighed, then quickly added comfortingly, ”But you don’t need to worry about any of this. Once your second aunt recovers, we’ll just hand it all over to her.”

Ye Chutang didn’t respond to that, changing the subject instead. ”Right, I’ve been so busy with the account books these past few days that I haven’t had a chance to visit Second Aunt. How is she feeling?”

The topic only served to irritate Ye Heng.

Several days had passed and she had been taking her medicine, but not only did the red rash on Mrs. Gao’s face show no signs of fading, it had actually gotten worse!

He had gone to see her yesterday and found that some parts of her face had begun to swell and fester. It was a terrifying sight. He hadn’t even finished his meal there before leaving in a hurry.

’Looking at a face like that really kills the appetite.’

But of course, he couldn’t say that out loud.

He forced a laugh. ”It’s nothing serious. Your second aunt is much better. She should be fully recovered in a little while.”

’Doctor Zhang is useless. I’ll have to find a more capable physician!’

Ye Chutang seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as well, offering a small smile.

”Then I can rest assured.”

Just then, the sound of footsteps approached from behind.

”Cousin, are you ready?”

The newcomer was none other than Ye Shixian.

She had woken up very early and spent a long time before her mirror doing her hair and makeup, finally satisfied with the result.

Hearing that Ye Chutang had come over, she had headed there directly.

”The carriage is ready. Let’s g—”

She was mid-sentence when she saw Ye Chutang turn around. Her voice died in her throat, an uncontrollable flash of jealousy in her eyes.

Today, Ye Chutang had her dark hair styled in a flying cloud bun, fastened with a White Jade Begonia Hairpin set at an angle.

She wore a Heavenly Water Cyan Brocade Smoke Gauze Skirt that further accentuated her slender, delicate figure and slim waist.

Just by standing there, she was like a spring haitang blossom—washed clean, unadorned, yet with a tranquil, languid grace.

Ye Shixian’s hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched into tight fists, her nails digging into her palms.

She knew Ye Chutang was beautiful, but she never expected that with just some simple grooming, she would become even more stunning!

In that moment, Ye Shixian felt that she, who had spent over an hour meticulously getting ready that morning, was a complete joke!

A wave of regret washed over her.

’If I had known, I never should have invited Ye Chutang to the Chao Hua Banquet!’

But the words were already spoken. How could she take them back now?

Ye Chutang smiled, her dimples faintly visible.

”Alright.”

...

Ye Chutang and Ye Shixian boarded the carriage together, accompanied by a servant to drive it and Ye Shixian’s personal maid, Shaoyao.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was extremely awkward on the way there.

Every time Ye Shixian looked up and saw that face, another layer of discomfort settled in her heart.

Ye Chutang seemed oblivious, remaining perfectly composed.

As the carriage stopped in front of the Long Princess Mansion, Ye Shixian’s nervousness reached its peak.

She pressed a hand to her chest, took a shallow breath, and lifted the curtain to peek outside.

Several carriages were already parked outside the Long Princess Mansion, clearly belonging to various prominent noble families.

Gazing at the magnificent, imposing gates of the Long Princess Mansion, Ye Shixian’s heart began to race with a mixture of awe and excitement.

She straightened her clothes again and asked, ”Shaoyao, is anything out of place?”

Shaoyao was just as excited as she was. After all, these were true Royal Nobles!

”You look stunning, milady! Later—”

She paused, remembering Ye Chutang was still in the carriage, and swallowed the rest of her words.

Ye Shixian felt slightly more at ease and finally looked at Ye Chutang.

”Cousin, shall we go in?”

Shaoyao got out of the carriage first to help her down.

”Milady, be careful—”

Just as Ye Shixian was about to step down from the carriage, the urgent, thunderous sound of horse hooves suddenly came galloping closer!

CLIP-CLOP-CLIP-CLOP!

Ye Shixian’s heart tightened. She instinctively looked up and saw a woman in tight-fitting red riding clothes galloping toward them!

”Hiyah!”

The woman held the reins in one hand and a whip in the other. With a loud CRACK, the whip’s report split the air!

As the distance between them shrank, the woman showed no sign of slowing down or stopping, charging straight for them!

Ye Shixian’s heart leaped into her throat. She scrambled to get away, but in her panic, she missed her footing and tumbled right off the carriage!

Shaoyao cried out in alarm and rushed to help her. ”Milady—”

THUD!

The mistress and her maid collapsed into a heap!

Ye Shixian cried out in pain.

Hearing the cry, Ye Chutang, who was still inside the carriage, finally lifted the curtain to look out.

The horse was about to crash violently into their carriage!

Ye Chutang’s eyebrow twitched upward, but she didn’t move. She simply watched with great interest, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

The next moment, the woman in red yanked hard on the reins. The horse reared up on its hind legs, letting out a sharp neigh!