With this question, Qi Ji felt his earlier thoughts were too absurd.

He scratched his head and said: “It probably isn’t her. How could anyone be so unnaturally talented?”

Qi Peicui stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and then set the matter aside.

He had more important things to do.

“Alright, you may go. Regardless, maintain good relations with the Ye family for now.”

Qi Ji knew his father needed to consult with his advisors on political matters, so he bowed and left.

As soon as he departed, Secretary Wu and others arrived at the study.

Qi Peicui explained the situation to them and said: “The Ye family has shown us nothing but goodwill. Let’s not concern ourselves with who made the arrangements in their household. Now, let’s discuss how to maximize the benefits from this situation.”

Meanwhile, Qi Ji was not one to keep things to himself. The conversation with his father had shocked him greatly, so after leaving the study, he went straight to Lu Guanyi’s home and recounted their entire conversation.

“Do you think this is Miss Ye’s handiwork? How old is she? It can’t be possible, right?”

Lu Guanyi frowned in thought for a moment, then said: “It should be her doing. However, her intentions may not have been as profound as we think. It’s probably because we’re partnered with her family, and your father is considered one of our own. Plus, she needs your father to bring down the Yang family, so she removed his name from the book.”

This reasoning was easier to accept. Qi Ji said: “That must be it.” Then he nodded firmly, “Yes, that’s it!”

The account book affair shocked not only Qi Peicui and the two young masters Lu and Qi, but also Ye Chongming and Ye Hongchang of the Ye family.

However, they didn’t suspect that Ye Yaming had a hand in it; they simply believed that Ma Dafu had endured years of hardship and managed to obtain the account book from the Yang family—which was also what everyone in Lin’an thought, from the Associate Prefect and Provincial Surveillance Commission officials down to the common people.

Ye Chongming and his son were so delighted that they drank heavily that evening, exclaiming: “Heaven has eyes!”

Though Ye Hongchang had reached thirty-nine years of age and rarely panicked when facing various business challenges, this time he had been truly anxious.

It wasn’t that the Yang family was particularly frightening. He was worried about not performing well and losing face in front of his niece.

Now that Ma Dafu had filed the complaint and produced such a powerful weapon as the account book, he felt the matter was secure. He relaxed completely and had the mood to discuss Ye Yaming’s plan to lure the snake out of its hole.

“Father, do we not need to help Ming’er?” he asked.

“Don’t worry. When has she ever done anything that wasn’t thoroughly planned? Besides, she won’t personally act as bait. We just need to help put on a show. Are you afraid something will go wrong?” Ye Chongming said.

If Ye Yaming had intended to personally act as bait, he would never have agreed. Setting aside personal feelings, from a purely practical standpoint, the Ye family absolutely could not afford to lose Ye Yaming.

With his father saying this, Ye Hongchang fell silent.

After experiencing so many events, he had completely submitted to his niece’s intellect and, deep down, even feared her a little.

The case of Ma Dafu against Yang Hong required questioning and investigation, and with so many officials implicated, a verdict naturally couldn’t be reached quickly.

Time flew by, and the sixteenth day of the first lunar month quietly arrived.

On this day, Ye Chongming, Ye Hongchang, and Ye Yaming ate breakfast with Old Lady Ye in the main courtyard, then each put on heavy cloaks and wraps, bundling themselves up thoroughly before leaving the Ye family gate.

At this moment, a tanghulu (candied hawthorn) vendor carrying a pole across his shoulders passed by the Ye family entrance. Head lowered, he was about to head toward the carriage in front of the Ye family gate when a Ye family servant stopped him: “Watch where you’re going! There’s such a wide road over there, why are you coming toward someone’s front door?”

“Sorry, sorry,” the vendor apologized repeatedly. “I was lost in thought and didn’t watch where I was going.”

While speaking, he glanced at the faces of those who had just exited, confirming that they were indeed Old Master Ye Chongming, First Master Ye Hongchang, and the Ye family’s Third Miss Ye Yaming.

“Move along quickly! What are you looking at?” The servant, seeing this, became angry and used his body to block the vendor’s view.

The vendor had no choice but to move away.

“Ming’er, Ming’er!” At that moment, a woman’s voice called from inside the Ye family gate.

Immediately after, a maid ran out and anxiously said to Ye Yaming: “Miss, Madam has learned you’re going to the mountain and has come out to stop you. Would you like to explain things to her?”

Ye Yaming exclaimed, “Oh my!” and said to Ye Chongming: “Grandfather, let me speak to my mother briefly. I’ll be right back.”

Ye Chongming frowned: “Be quick. The weather isn’t good, and it may snow heavily soon. We need to leave quickly.”

“Yes, I’m coming,” Ye Yaming said as she ran inside.

The tanghulu vendor had been sent to confirm the identities of the Ye family masters. If they had directly boarded the carriage and he had been chased away by the servants, his mission would have been complete.

But now that Ye Chongming and the others weren’t getting into the carriage, if the vendor left now and something went wrong, he would be beaten to death.

Thinking quickly in this urgent situation, the vendor let out a cry of “Ouch!” He set down his carrying pole, clutched his ankle, and squatted down, pretending to have twisted his foot.

The Ye family servant was none other than Fang Xing. He had received instructions from Ye Yaming to put on this act.

Seeing the vendor’s pretense, he knew what the other was trying to do.

Instead of forcibly pulling him away, Fang Xing squatted down with concern and asked: “Are you alright?”

“I’m—I’m fine,” the vendor looked up and smiled gratefully at Fang Xing. “It’ll get better soon, just need to rest it a bit.”

“Alright, take your time. But let me warn you, don’t let your eyes wander where they shouldn’t,” Fang Xing warned with a stern face. “If you dare to be disrespectful again, I’ll have to drag you to the government office and accuse you of indecency.”

“I wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare,” the vendor nodded repeatedly, presenting the image of a timid small businessman.

By now, Ye Chongming and Ye Hongchang had been standing at the gate for some time. Seeing his father’s displeased expression, Ye Hongchang said, “I’ll go hurry them up,” and entered the gate.

He, too, didn’t come out immediately.

The vendor grew increasingly anxious as Fang Xing continued to hurry him along.

“Go and see what’s happening,” the vendor heard Ye Chongming say to his servant.

The servant acknowledged and ran inside.

After a moment’s thought, Ye Chongming also walked through the gate.

“Why haven’t you left yet? What exactly are you trying to do? Are you a thief scoping out our house?” Fang Xing stared at the vendor suspiciously.

“My foot hurts, I can’t walk,” the vendor said with a pained expression.

“I’ll help you move over there. Don’t stand here blocking my family’s path,” Fang Xing said, extending his hand to support the vendor. “Liu Zi, come help carry his pole over there!”

As the vendor watched anxiously, he saw Ye Hongchang supporting Ye Chongming as they walked out from the gate.