Chapter 22: Harbored Malicious Thoughts Towards the Elder Sister

Ye Chutang caught a glimpse of the malicious intent flickering in Ye Jingchuan’s eyes.

She didn’t pay much attention and stood up, asking, “Lord Ye, it’s getting late. When shall we have dinner?”

Ye Jingchuan, thinking about how everyone still needed to present a meeting gift to Ye Chutang, set the dinner time for two hours later.

Ye Chutang opened the door to the main hall. “Alright, see you soon.”

Before returning to Ningchu Courtyard, she glanced at the “madwoman.”

After Ye Chutang left the front courtyard, Kong Ru said to Ye Jingchuan, “Master, we can no longer let Chuer do as she pleases. Otherwise, the entire Minister’s residence will be dragged down with her reckless behavior!”

The old lady of the Ye family touched her injured neck and glared viciously.

“Chuan’er, that cheap hussy even dared to hurt me. You must show her some consequences!”

Ye Jingchuan, being a filial son, quickly reassured the old lady.

“Mother, don’t worry. I’ll definitely get justice for you.”

Kong Ru, after some thought, suggested, “Master, Chuer has ill intentions to poison the entire family. Should we drug her first and control her?”

Poison and medicine often go hand in hand, and the house’s physician certainly had poison.

Once Ye Chutang was poisoned, they could control her with an antidote and force her to comply!

The old lady agreed with this plan and nodded in approval.

“Chuan’er, don’t hesitate.”

Ye Jingchuan had initially planned to poison the food at dinner to target Ye Chutang.

But he quickly dismissed that idea.

Since Ye Chutang dared to openly threaten to poison the whole family, it likely meant that she understood medicine well.

If she discovered the poison, he would fall into an utterly passive and precarious situation.

“Mother, I have a way to make Chuer obedient. You don’t need to worry.”

He then looked at Kong Ru. “You go notify everyone to prepare the meeting gifts for Chuer. Whatever is valuable, use it.”

Kong Ru was reluctant. “Master…”

“Foolish woman, go quickly!” Ye Jingchuan snapped.

“Yes, Master.”

Ye Jingchuan glanced at Kong Ru, who was unwilling, and couldn’t be bothered to explain to someone so narrow-minded.

The most important thing now was to stabilize Ye Chutang and make her let down her guard.

Once he controlled her, he would take back everything he had given her, and no one would lose anything.

The old lady of the Ye family understood Ye Jingchuan’s intent. “I’ll go fetch the new pair of jade bracelets and the white jade Buddha statue that I recently acquired.”

Ye Jingchuan helped the old lady rise. “Mother, no need to hurry. Let the physician check your injuries first.”

“Just a minor scratch, it won’t hinder anything.”

Two hours later.

The dining table in the hall was filled with delicacies, the smell of food wafting through the air.

Ye Chutang sat at the head of the table, with Shan’er and Shuang’er standing on either side of her.

One was responsible for tallying the meeting gifts, and the other for recording.

Ye Jingchuan made his move first, presenting two thousand taels in silver notes and a set of priceless writing tools.

“Chuer, you can no longer address me as ‘Lord Ye.’ It’s too distant.”

Ye Chutang accepted the silver notes and smiled. “Thank you, Father, for the ten thousand taels’ re-naming fee.”

At this remark, everyone, except for the ones in the know (like Kong Ru), changed their expressions.

Wasn’t it supposed to be “Father”?

Why did she need a re-naming fee?

And it was ten thousand taels!

That was six or seven years’ worth of salary for a sixth-rank Minister!

Did they also have to pay to get Ye Chutang to call them “Father”?

Although Ye Jingchuan didn’t care much for Ye Chutang calling him “Father,” when money was involved, calling him “Father” sounded particularly pleasing.

“As long as Chuer is happy.”

This statement left the others, who hadn’t been part of the “chat,” utterly stunned.

The family had previously been planning to punish Ye Chutang, but now they were shamelessly flattering her—what had happened?

Ye Chutang had Shan’er take the writing tools, her eyes crescent-shaped with a smile.

“With money and gifts, of course, I’m happy. Continue.”

Kong Ru, suppressing her disgust, stepped forward and gave Ye Chutang two sets of expensive headpieces, two pairs of bracelets, and two thousand taels in silver notes.

Ye Chutang received the items and commented, “The wife of the Ye family isn’t as generous as her daughter. I, as the head of the household, am frugal and simple. I don’t have anything valuable, nor much silver.”

“Ye Madam, perhaps you should stop being frugal. After all these years of scraping by, you’ve only saved up a mere thousand taels.”

Kong Ru was slapped in the face publicly, and she lost her temper.

“Who says…”

She was interrupted by Ye Jingchuan.

“Stop talking, let everyone finish giving the meeting gifts and then have dinner.”

Kong Ru finally realized she had been provoked by Ye Chutang’s tactics, almost exposing the entire Minister’s residence’s secrets.

The old lady of the Ye family instructed her personal maid to deliver the prepared gifts to Ye Chutang.

In addition to the jade bracelets and white jade Buddha statue mentioned earlier, she also added an ancient guqin.

Once Ye Chutang received the gifts, she asked, “Chuer, how much re-naming fee do you want?”

Ye Anling, watching as her elder sister received so many fine gifts, was filled with jealousy, especially since the old lady hadn’t even given her a guqin.

She forced a weak and innocent smile.

“Grandmother has given so many fine things to my elder sister. Surely she won’t ask for a re-naming fee now, right?”

Those who had thin skin would probably agree to this smoothly.

But Ye Chutang would never sell herself short.

She loved seeing the Ye family uncomfortable with her, yet unable to do anything about it.

“If Second Miss Ye is so generous with other people’s money, then you can cover the ten thousand taels of re-naming fee for Ye Madam.”

Ye Anling could no longer smile.

After paying for the cloth for the embroidery workshop, her purse was empty.

“Elder sister, you’re joking. The savings I’ve had all these years have already been emptied by you.”

“If you have no money, just be honest. Stop hopping around.”

Ye Chutang finished speaking, then turned to Ye Madam. “Grandmother, you’ve lived more than ten years longer than Father, so you must have saved up enough for the ten thousand taels, right?”

The old lady’s face turned black as a pot. Her tone was also unpleasant.

“Gui Xiang, go fetch the money!”

If it weren’t for the fact that this money could still be retrieved, she would never give it away!

When the old lady’s personal maid went to fetch the silver notes, the remaining Ye family members hurriedly presented their gifts.

Ye Anzhi, the eldest son, not only loved beauty but had peculiar preferences.

Ever since meeting Ye Chutang, his eyes had not left her.

He presented an extravagant and precious gift.

“Elder sister, welcome home. I’ll bring the ten thousand taels of re-naming fee later.”

Kong Ru was stunned.

Since when did siblings give re-naming fees to one another?

Before long, she realized that her son had other intentions towards Ye Chutang.

She quickly scolded him: “Zh’er, stop making trouble. A re-naming fee is for elders, it has nothing to do with you!”

If the eldest son gave one, the youngest son would have to do the same.

Even though this money could be retrieved, she didn’t want to give Ye Chutang another ten thousand taels.

Ye Anzhi immediately retorted.

“How can it be unrelated? If I give the re-naming fee, I’ll be Elder Sister’s brother.”

Ye Chutang had already learned from Shan’er that Ye Anzhi wasn’t a good person.

But she hadn’t expected him to harbor such vile thoughts towards his elder sister.

In that case, she would play along with him and, at the family banquet, ruin him completely!

She gave a flirtatious smile. “As long as you pay the re-naming fee, you’ll be my brother.”

Ye Anzhi’s heart raced as he lowered his gaze to hide the wickedness in his eyes.

Kong Ru noticed the eldest son’s hidden intentions and realized he might even want to kill Ye Chutang.

This vixen!

She couldn’t let her ruin Zh’er!

“Qiu He, go get the three thousand taels of silver and the century-old ginseng I gave to Jun’er for his illness. Give it as his meeting gift and re-naming fee.”

She knew that Ye Jingchuan doted on his sickly son, Ye Anjun.

She said this to push him to act quickly and deal with Ye Chutang.