The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming

Chapter 116: Chapter 116: What a Kind Gesture

Ye Mingze was stunned by the slap, and half his face quickly swelled and reddened.

The slap finally shocked him to his senses, and he realized what he had just said.

The color drained from his face. He frantically knelt down. ”Father! I was wrong! I... I misspoke just now—”

”Get out!” Ye Heng roared.

Ye Mingze didn’t dare say another word. He scrambled to his feet and hastily retreated from the room.

BAM!

Ye Heng swept everything from the desk onto the floor, his rage still simmering.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ”Someone, come!”

The steward waiting outside the door immediately came in. When he saw the mess all over the floor, his brow twitched.

’The master has always been strict with the Second Young Master, and the two have argued countless times over the years, but this is the first time he’s ever been this furious.’

’I wonder what on earth the Second Young Master did to provoke him to such an extent...’

Ye Heng said furiously, ”From this day forward, keep an eye on Mingze! Other than to deliver his meals, no one is to have any contact with him without my permission!”

The steward looked up in shock. ”Master? Isn’t... isn’t this punishment too severe? Not even the Eldest Miss?”

”Are you deaf?” Ye Heng cut him off sharply. ”Since he doesn’t want to return to the Imperial College to study, he can just stay home! He’s not to go anywhere!”

The steward hastily replied, ”Yes! Yes!”

...

The night was still and deep. An evening breeze rustled through the leaves, finally chasing away some of the midsummer heat.

A single, dim lamp cast the slender, delicate silhouette of a figure against the window frame.

Ye Yunfeng glanced over, asking as he tidied up his things,

”Hey, Third Brother, Big Sis has been in her room ever since we got back. What’s wrong with her?”

Ye Jingyan shook his head. ”I don’t know. She’s probably thinking about something.”

’Big Sis usually doesn’t seem to care much about anything. It’s only when she reaches a critical juncture that she sits alone in quiet contemplation like this.’

Ye Yunfeng was a little confused. ”I know that, but did something happen today? Something worth her being like this?”

’Neither the polo match nor Han Yao of the Han Family is worth her spending a single moment of thought on.’

Ye Jingyan had a faint suspicion. ”Perhaps... it has to do with the Heir of Duke Dingbei.”

”Really?” Ye Yunfeng pulled a chair over and sat down. ”But she only shared a carriage with him for a little while, and Xiao Wu was there, too.”

He really couldn’t figure it out.

Ye Jingyan shot him a cool glance, not expecting him to be of any help in figuring it out.

’After all, that kid is still incredibly grateful whenever that man is mentioned.’

’That bow was the perfect gift for him.’

”Forget it. Don’t disturb Big Sis. If she wants to tell us, she’ll bring it up herself.”

...

Ye Chutang sat behind her desk, her expression serene.

The case file from the Ministry of Justice replayed endlessly in her mind, every page and every line crystal clear.

The file stated clearly that the battle at Tongtian Pass ended in disaster because Huo Yucheng had misjudged the situation and insisted on advancing the army.

The chain of evidence was complete, and all witness testimonies were consistent.

To any observer, it was a foregone conclusion that Huo Yucheng would be found guilty.

It was easy to understand why the furious Emperor Muwu had the entire Huo Family executed and then directed his wrath at Ye Zheng for pleading on their behalf.

Ye Chutang closed her eyes.

In fact, Ye Zheng and Huo Yucheng were not well-acquainted.

One of them was a career soldier who fought on the battlefield year-round and had earned illustrious military merits. The other had risen through the imperial examinations, step-by-step, to become the Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

To put it bluntly, the most they had ever interacted was likely during those days when Huo Yucheng was escorted back to the capital and interrogated in the Heavenly Prison.

Suddenly, Ye Chutang’s eyes snapped open, her brow slightly furrowed.

’Without a compelling reason, Father would never have gambled his own career to plead for such a person.’

’What was the real story behind it?’

’The interrogation records in the file revealed no clues; everything pointed to Huo Yucheng as the one who had brought about the disaster.’

’But it was all too neat, too convenient. That in itself was suspicious.’

’How could everything be so coincidental?’

’It was as if... someone had written a script and then sent these people on stage one by one to perform a magnificent drama.’

Ye Chutang spread out a sheet of paper, picked up her brush, and began to write.

Lines of characters formed on the paper, but it was not the beautiful, delicate script she usually favored. Instead, it was a cursive script, its strokes powerful and sharp, like hooks of silver and strokes of iron.

...

「The next day.」

Ye Jingyan and Ye Yunfeng left for the Imperial College early in the morning. At the same time, Ye Chutang heard the news that Ye Mingze had been put under house arrest again.

This was to be expected. The only surprise was that this time, not even Ye Shixian was allowed to visit him freely.

”Did he manage to truly anger Second Uncle?” Ye Chutang casually tossed a silver ingot to the cleaning maid. ”I thought that since Second Uncle met with the Lord Sacrificial Officer yesterday, he might let Mingze go with Yan and A Feng today.”

The maid beamed and curtsied. After a quick look around, she spoke with animated glee. ”You’re telling me! Second Miss Ye, you have no idea how furious the master was yesterday! He made a bigger scene than when the Second Young Master was sent home by the Assistant Teacher!”

After Ye Chutang and her siblings returned to the capital, they had requested not to be assigned personal maids or servants, making do with just a few cleaning maids who came by a few times a day.

At first, these servants had looked down on them, never showing a pleasant expression while they worked. But they later discovered that Ye Chutang was very generous and had a gentle, amiable temperament, so they gradually grew to enjoy working here.

Furthermore, with Ye Chutang now backed by the Eldest Princess, and Ye Yunfeng having won the polo match and earned high praise from His Majesty, everyone’s attitude toward them had naturally done a complete one-eighty.

Ye Chutang had only asked casually, but the maid seemed eager to spill every last detail she knew.

”Is that right?” Ye Chutang said in surprise, shaking her head lightly. ”They’re father and son. There’s no need for things to get so tense.”

The maid whispered, ”You mustn’t go try to talk him down. The master is in a fury right now; he won’t listen to anyone.”

Ye Chutang, of course, had no such intention.

She just found Ye Heng’s sudden actions a little strange.

’He went out of his way to see the Lord Sacrificial Officer yesterday, and it was obviously about Ye Mingze. Yet overnight, he’s locked his son away.’

’Perhaps... I should go ask Ye Mingze about it?’

”Second Miss Ye?”

A servant came running in from outside.

”You have an important visitor!”

The hand Ye Chutang was using to fan Xiao Wu stilled. ”An important visitor?”

The servant smiled eagerly. ”It’s Mr. Han! He made a special trip to the estate, specifically to see you!”

...

When Ye Chutang arrived at the front hall, Han Yao was already there.

Upon seeing Ye Chutang, he immediately rose to his feet.

”Second Miss Ye.”

Perhaps out of deference to the Eldest Princess, he now treated Ye Chutang with far more courtesy and respect.

A faint smile touched Ye Chutang’s lips.

”Mr. Han, you honor us with your visit. Forgive me for not being here to greet you.”

Han Yao was momentarily dazed. He felt as if that one smile from her made everything else in the room lose its color.

”Not at all. The honor is all mine—”

Ye Chutang said in a gentle voice,

”Lord Han has been suspended from his duties and must be fraught with worry. For you to find the time to come here, Mr. Han, is a true testament to your good intentions.”