In the past, she might have dismissed Ye Yaming’s words, treating her as a naive young lady. But ever since Ye Yaming had offered many suggestions to Ye Chongming and been repeatedly praised for her great wisdom, Nanny Xia had come to view this young lady whom she had watched grow up in a new light.

“Song Yifeng is a man with ambition,” Ye Yaming continued, “His goal is not to break off the engagement with me, but rather to form marriage ties with the Education Commissioner or other officials, using such shortcuts to advance his career. Therefore, even if Yu Linger tries to seduce him, he won’t make any mistakes. Otherwise, if the Yu family were to make a scene, how could he catch the attention of those important officials?”

“Furthermore, if Yu Linger truly succeeded in seducing him and won his heart, what do you think he would do? Would he break off our engagement to marry Yu Linger?”

Old Lady Ye and Nanny Xia were taken aback. They exchanged glances and shook their heads simultaneously.

Certainly not.

Old Lady Ye said, “The Song family, not to mention Madam Yu, but even Song Yifeng himself, is extremely ambitious. The Yu family merely runs a small business. Song Yifeng doesn’t even value our family with its substantial business, so how could he possibly marry the Yu family’s daughter? Taking her as a concubine would be more likely.”

The area where the Song family currently lived was a district for the lower-middle class citizenry, and the houses there weren’t expensive.

As for their neighbors, the Yu family ran a bean curd business. The women made bean curd products at home, Yu Linger’s father sold them at the marketplace, and her brother delivered orders to wealthy households. The whole family worked diligently, barely making enough to get by, though they managed to have food and clothing.

The Ye family had shown kindness to the Song family, and Ye Yaming would have given her heart to Song Yifeng if she could. Yet he showed not the slightest gratitude, and remained cold toward Ye Yaming, revealing him to be a heartless person.

How could such a person give up a good marriage for Yu Linger’s sake?

Ye Yaming nodded. “Therefore, if Yu Linger were to seduce Song Yifeng, even if he developed feelings for her, he would only abandon any thoughts of breaking off our engagement. He would plan to marry me first, then bring Yu Linger into the household as a concubine.”

“So the idea of using Yu Linger to seduce him and then using their affair to create public opinion for breaking off the engagement can be dismissed. Even if you caught him in an affair, what could you do about it? The only outcome would be him taking another concubine!”

Nanny Xia was speechless, her expression awkward. Old Lady Ye also closed her mouth.

The two self-proclaimed masters of inner household scheming were utterly defeated.

Nanny Xia stammered, “Then what should we do?”

“There’s no rush with this matter,” said Ye Yaming. “We don’t need to exert ourselves at all. Isn’t Meng Chengwei spreading rumors? Perhaps the Song mother and son, upon hearing these rumors, will also try to find ways to break off the engagement with me.”

She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, seemingly struck by an inspiration. “The method Nanny Xia suggested isn’t entirely unworkable. But let’s not involve any respectable young ladies.”

She looked at Nanny Xia. “Nanny Xia, do you know of any extraordinarily beautiful and talented courtesans?”

Old Lady Ye: “…”

Nanny Xia: “…”

Nanny Xia stared at Ye Yaming, too stunned to speak.

Ye Yaming was amused by her expression.

This Nanny Xia, who thought herself quite formidable, actually had no practical experience and had merely heard about some underhanded tactics.

The inner household of the Ye family was truly upright.

Old Lady Ye suddenly became very interested in her granddaughter’s scheme. However, she didn’t ask Ye Yaming what she planned to do.

A secret should not be told to a third party.

She said, “There should be some. I’ll send someone to inquire.”

Jiangnan was prosperous and known for its culture and talent, so there was no shortage of courtesans with both beauty and talent. Ye Yaming needed someone who was not only beautiful and talented but also willing to work for the Ye family. Old Lady Ye understood this and would make sure to have people make thorough inquiries.

Ye Yaming bowed to Old Lady Ye. “Thank you, Grandmother.”

She added, “I also need a few clever people who can gather intelligence. Grandmother, please select a few for me.”

“Very well,” Old Lady Ye nodded with a smile.

“What about this old servant?” Nanny Xia, seeing there was nothing for her to do, became anxious.

“You should maintain occasional contact with Xiao Xiang and keep an eye on the situation at the Song household.”

Ye Yaming said seriously, “However, it would be best if you didn’t personally contact Xiao Xiang. Send an unfamiliar maid, or communicate through the wives of the shop managers and assistants. Otherwise, if Madam Yu discovers it, we would be fine, but Xiao Xiang’s fate would be miserable.”

Nanny Xia’s expression changed, and she nodded vigorously. “Yes, this old servant will remember.”

Seeing that Ye Yaming was considering Xiao Xiang’s wellbeing, Old Lady Ye couldn’t help but sigh with emotion: “If it weren’t for our family’s support, Song Yifeng wouldn’t even have enough to eat, let alone study. Yet he doesn’t have even a bit of gratitude. How can he be so heartless?”

“Conscience is not something everyone possesses,” Ye Yaming said calmly.

In her previous life, she had a close friend who married a “phoenix man” (a man from a poor background who marries into wealth) who had been her college classmate. After graduation, he joined her family’s company and climbed to a high position. When her friend’s father passed away, she discovered that her husband not only had a mistress outside but also a son who wasn’t much younger than their daughter.

When she sought a divorce, the man wasn’t intimidated. He had already acquired company shares, bought several houses elsewhere, and secured a substantial portion of the assets.

At a gathering back then, a friend who studied psychology had analyzed the mentality of such “phoenix men.”

Those who could become “phoenix men” typically possessed exceptional looks and talents—these golden phoenixes who flew from chicken coops were inherently proud and had reason to be. However, after marrying into a wealthy family, due to their humble origins, they often faced disdain in their in-laws’ circles. This mix of pride and inferiority could easily distort their psychology, creating a rebellious attitude toward their in-laws and wives.

Although some were psychologically strong, showed gratitude, and loved their wives, the vast majority of “phoenix men” indeed behaved as her friend had analyzed. Some might not keep mistresses or seek divorce, but they approached their marriages with a suppressed attitude. And how many of such marriages were truly happy?

…

While the Ye family was holding various meetings, Meng Chengwei waited and waited for Ye Jiaxing to emerge from the Ye residence. As it approached dinnertime, there was still no reply from Ye Jiaxing’s side. Instead, he received news that Ye Chongming had returned from the mountain.

With Ye Chongming back, his attempt to seize the garden households’ land couldn’t be hidden anymore. The opportunity to manipulate Ye Jiaxing and make a final struggle had also slipped away.

Meng Chengwei slammed his teacup onto the table, took a deep breath, and ordered his servant: “Go, spread the rumors more widely.”

“Yes,” the servant hurriedly went out.

Starting today, they had already instructed idle men to spread certain rumors.