Chapter 93: Breaking Off the Engagement

Ye family’s shops in the capital and Lin’an have a turnover of over twenty thousand. Ye Chongming only had a rough idea of the money given to Song Yifeng. If it weren’t for Ye Yaming setting up this situation, Ye Chongming wouldn’t have known how much was spent on him. Only after the accountant calculated it the day before did Ye Chongming find out.

“Let’s not talk about that. My granddaughter Ming’er, afraid she wouldn’t match up to you, a talented scholar from Jiangnan, has been diligently studying with a female teacher since she was young, reading extensively. She pitied your family’s poverty and spent her monthly allowance to buy meat and make clothes for your family, caring for your mother. Who in the neighborhood doesn’t praise her filial piety?”

“All of this means nothing to you. Based on a mere rumor, you lightly tell me you want to break off the engagement?”

Ye Chongming sneered, full of sarcasm: “It’s just that Young Master Song is now a scholar, looking to climb higher, and despises my merchant status, wanting to attach himself to some official and become their son-in-law.”

Seeing Song Yifeng about to retort, Ye Chongming quickly interrupted him: “Since you look down on us, my Ye family won’t hold onto you. My granddaughter Ming’er is talented and beautiful, and someone who cherishes her will appear. Someone as ungrateful as Young Master Song is not her match. We agree to break off the engagement. But…”

He took a deep breath: “You’ve spent my Ye family’s money for so many years, you should return it, right? When others break off an engagement, they return the betrothal gifts. Your family was poor and couldn’t provide anything back then, and my Ye family didn’t ask for a single coin from your Song family. Instead, we supported you and your mother for many years, spending countless amounts of money on you. You should return this money to my Ye family, right?”

“Now that you are a scholar, you are no longer without means to make money. You have plenty of land and property, so returning a few thousand taels of silver shouldn’t be difficult. Tomorrow, bring a matchmaker and the expenses from these years, and we will sign the annulment document together.”

Of course, Ye Chongming could have asked Song Yifeng to annul the engagement directly or write an IOU. However, once an IOU is written, it will be difficult to get the money back. Ye Chongming couldn’t let that happen. They arranged this situation and invited Lu Guanyi and Advisor Wu for dinner to seek justice from all sides. So, without returning all the money, Song Yifeng couldn’t get the annulment document and then go on to seek higher connections easily.

At first, when Ye Chongming listed the favors and expenses, Song Yifeng felt uneasy, thinking the Ye family would never agree to the annulment. Later, when Ye Chongming agreed to the annulment, he breathed a sigh of relief. But in the end, hearing that the Ye family wanted him to return the expenses from these years, listing all the costs, he realized he couldn’t get away with it easily and felt overwhelmed.

According to his plan, even if he couldn’t finish speaking and leave immediately, directly annulling the engagement, he would only face Ye Chongming’s bitter pleas. The Ye family could only bring up some trivial matters and use their favors to persuade him not to annul the engagement.

If the Ye family forced him, he would agree to return the money. A few thousand taels of silver meant nothing to the Ye family; their intention was not to get the money, so the matter would reach a stalemate. At that point, he would let the matchmaker mediate, asking the Ye family not to strain the relationship. With the favor of helping him with his studies, he would help the Ye family in the future if they encountered trouble. He was determined to leave, and the Ye family had to let go. With the promise of future help, the Ye family wouldn’t demand the money back.

Thus, the matter would be perfectly resolved.

As for the illegal tea trade, he would adapt based on the Ye family’s reaction. If true, he might extort the Ye family or collaborate with others to seize most of their property after successfully annulling the engagement.

Unexpectedly, Ye Chongming’s reaction was beyond his expectations. The old man agreed to the annulment and demanded the money back, which was unexpected.

While suspicious, he heard Ye Chongming sneer and mock, “Does Young Master Song plan to annul the engagement without returning the expenses from these years?”

At seventeen, Song Yifeng was still a young man who had been studying in the academy and hadn’t experienced much of the world. He was impulsive and easily angered. Being mocked like this, he couldn’t stand it and impulsively said, “Fine, tomorrow I’ll bring the silver and the matchmaker to sign the annulment document. I hope Old Master Ye will restrain his family and not cry and cling at that time.”

He realized that he couldn’t smoothly annul the engagement without returning the money, and it would be detrimental to him if the matter got out.

Even if he returned the Ye family’s money, so what? He could sell his family’s land and property. As a scholar, he had many fields under his name, receiving a large amount of tribute each year. He could also guarantee others for the imperial examination and review their essays, maintaining his current standard of living.

Once he became Lord Wang’s son-in-law and passed the imperial examination, wealth and honor would be within reach. Why care about a few thousand taels of silver now?

After angrily saying that, he left in a huff.

In the next room, since hearing Song Yifeng say he wanted to annul the engagement, Lu Guanyi and Advisor Wu had been observing etiquette and didn’t look at Ye Yaming. Qi Ji, being very curious, and Madam Wu, being a woman, were very concerned about such matters. Both couldn’t help but sneak a few glances at Ye Yaming.

Ye Hongchang and Ye Jiaxing didn’t know about Ye Yaming’s plan to annul the engagement.

Ye Chongming didn’t tell his eldest son in advance, fearing he might have personal motives and complicate the matter. Ye Chongming didn’t want to see the first and second branches of the family at odds. He also worried that if Ye Hongchang knew, his expression might reveal something, letting Advisor Wu and Lu Guanyi notice.

Ye Jiaxing was even less informed.

Therefore, hearing the conversation between Song Yifeng and Ye Chongming, the father and son were both shocked and angry, their expressions showing their fury. They wanted to rush over and beat Song Yifeng while also worrying that Ye Yaming might be upset, their gazes filled with concern and comfort.

Ye Yaming, however, lowered her head and closed her eyes, blocking everyone’s scrutiny. Her face showed no expression, and her heart was calm. But she worried that outsiders might see her calmness and become suspicious, which didn’t match her original character. So, she tightly grasped the jade pendant on her lap, gripping it so hard that her veins bulged to show her inner turmoil.

She felt that since her transmigration, the Oscars owed her a little gold man.

Humans love to fill in the blanks, and Ye Yaming’s previous stunning remarks had established her as an extraordinary talent. Seeing her like this now, everyone in the room imagined countless scenarios.

They believed Ye Yaming must be very sad and extremely ashamed. But with outsiders present, she had to maintain her composure, using all her strength to keep her emotions in check.

Everyone felt very sorry for her.