Chapter 25: 25 Leaving the Ye Family (Begging for follows!)

The Imperial Court has rules.

Although merchants do not hold high status, for the sake of economic prosperity, the laws provide decent protection.

Ye Bonan led people to defect from the Ye Family; although this is despised by the righteous path, the Ye Family cannot use martial arts world methods against him, aside from commercial retaliation.

Otherwise, it would certainly invite the wrath of the Imperial Court.

But some rules are merely words on paper.

The Great Qi has been established for over a thousand years; with corruption from top to bottom, many government decrees have already become empty words.

But unless absolutely necessary.

Liu Qingmei does not want to use force and walk down an extreme path.

Therefore.

She decided to take Ning Mu and Ye Yutan together to find Ye Bonan and demand an explanation.

"Young Aunt, Ye Bonan and the others have already defected to the Lieyang Sect of Huiling Mountain. The Lieyang Sect has a True Person of the Divine Origin Realm sitting in command; I fear we cannot salvage this trip..."

Noon.

On the way to Ye Bonan's mansion.

The three of them were riding in a spacious carriage.

Swaying back and forth.

Ning Mu felt very awkward inside.

Just at a critical moment, Liu Qingmei had suddenly burst in, even holding his clothes for him.

"There is an urgent matter, come with me at once."

Ning Mu looked helpless.

Master.

This will be the death of me! If this happens a few more times,

how will I be able to enjoy life in the future!

But seeing Liu Qingmei's anxious and impatient appearance,

Liu Qingmei was also incredibly embarrassed.

Listening to Ye Yutan's words while distracted, she secretly glanced at Ning Mu, her gaze fixed on her own skirt, a flash of shame and confusion in her eyes.

You brat! Your courage is growing! She waved her hand, coughed lightly, and feigned calmness, saying: "No matter, let us first test the depth. Yela is a member of the Ye Family, and fallen leaves return to their roots; he would not go this far. There must be some hidden difficulty!"

Ning Mu heard every word of their conversation along the way.

He roughly knew what had happened.

However, he did not care.

What he cares about now is whether the dungeon of the Ye Family Residence is truly secure or not.

With the unconscious Pusa Xiaoman locked inside, will she be rescued by someone?...

Not long after.

The two-headed carriage stopped in the prosperous area on the east side of Yonghang City, at Zhuzi Square on East Street, in front of a luxurious mansion.

"Do the three of you have a calling card?"

As soon as the three stepped off the carriage, the gatekeeper took the initiative to run over, but his attitude was very arrogant.

Liu Qingmei frowned.

It seems this Ye Bonan is determined to leave the Ye Family and set up his own household!

She had come in person, and yet they still wanted a calling card? This gatekeeper was clearly an old servant of the Ye Family; it was impossible that he did not recognize her.

Even if he did not recognize her, Ye Yutan was very familiar with Ye Bonan; could the servants at Ye Bonan's mansion not recognize him?

"Presumptuous! The Madam of the Ye Family main branch has arrived in person; why don't you call your master out to welcome us himself?"

Ye Yutan hurriedly spoke, shouting angrily.

"Oh... so it is Madam Ye!"

The gatekeeper drew out his voice, his face full of sarcasm. He crossed his arms, looked at the three of them with a fake smile, shrugged, and said: "Then I apologize. My master said, if the heroine of the Liu family from Liutang County arrived, the gates would be wide open to welcome her, but if it is the Madam of the Ye Family, then sorry, there is no entry!"

The gatekeeper's expression was very arrogant.

There was a sense of a petty person drunk on his own success.

These words immediately caused Ye Yutan to fly into a rage.

Even Ning Mu frowned slightly, his expression ugly.

Ye Yutan was furious; as a dignified young master of the Ye Family, when had he ever been looked down upon like this? Moreover, by a servant who was no better than a pig or a dog.

The main reason for his anger was that the Young Aunt had always been an untouchable and sacred existence in his heart.

Now, a mere ant of a petty person dared to mock her like this. How could he not be angry! Ye Yutan was about to strike to teach this blind servant a lesson.

At this moment.

Liu Qingmei, with a gloomy face, reached out to stop him.

These words were not something this gatekeeper could have come up with; every word and sentence was rehearsed, clearly someone behind the scenes had taught him.

Liu Qingmei narrowed her eyes and said coldly: "Go and announce us!"

The gatekeeper grinned, said nothing, just stepped aside and made a gesture of invitation.

Liu Qingmei frowned.

At this moment.

The main gate swung open.

After a moment of hesitation, Liu Qingmei took the lead, guiding Ning Mu and Ye Yutan as they stepped inside.

According to the regulations.

The residence of Ye Bonan is not supposed to have a threshold.

But at this moment, this threshold is over three feet high! A high-threshold, wealthy household.

The higher the threshold, the more dignified the residence, and the longer its heritage.

Stepping over the threshold.

The expression on Liu Qingmei's face grew increasingly gloomy.

Very quickly.

The three of them were led into the main hall.

They saw an old man with crane-like hair and a white beard, yet a ruddy complexion, wearing a gold-threaded long gown, sitting upright in the seat of honor, holding a teacup and sipping tea in a leisurely and contented manner.

As the three entered the hall, he ignored them completely, as if he had not seen them at all.

This arrogant attitude immediately made Ye Yutan unhappy.

"Ye Bonan, you have a lot of nerve; how dare you be so haughty when seeing the mistress of the main family?"

Ye Yutan shouted angrily.

"Little brother, you are joking. My old eyes are failing; besides the three... four of us in this room, where is there any mistress of the main family?"

At this moment, Ye Bonan raised his eyes, calmly and composedly set down his teacup, and smiled placidly: "I am here waiting for Grandmaster Liang Zhengang of the Lieyang Sect to discuss important matters with him. You all trespassed rudely, yet you blame me for not knowing etiquette—this makes no sense!"

"Furthermore, I stated beforehand: I welcome the young lady of the Liu Family to visit, but as for the others, I am closing my doors to guests."

"What, are the three of you not clear on this?"

As he spoke, a hint of mockery and threat was hidden in Ye Bonan's turbid old eyes as he looked indifferently at Liu Qingmei.

He wanted to see how this mistress of the main family would respond!

Kill him? What kind of world is this? Can killing solve problems?

Besides, he had already stated beforehand that Grandmaster Liang Zhengang of the Lieyang Sect was about to arrive. If he gave Liu Qingmei two guts, would she dare to risk offending a sect that possesses a True Person to kill him?

Even if she dared.

Could the entire Ye Family and the hundreds of Disciples of Cangjian Villa agree to it? Liu Qingmei naturally heard the warning from Ye Bonan.

She merely waved her hand lightly, then looked at Ye Bonan calmly and said: "Yela, up until now, as a younger generation of the Ye Family, I still honor you by calling you 'Elder'. If the Ye Family has done anything improper or offended you, you may state it clearly. After all, there must be a reason for defecting to the Lieyang Sect this time, right?"

"We are old acquaintances; let's speak plainly. Give me a justifiable reason."

Liu Qingmei sat down peacefully and watched Ye Bonan quietly.

Ning Mu stood behind her.

Ye Yutan stood in the middle, his face filled with irrepressible rage.

"A reason?"

"Then I shall give Young Lady Liu a reason!"

Ye Bonan gave a desolate smile, then his words became sonorous.

"We are both members of the Ye Family, but just because I am from a branch line, I had to give up cultivation to enter the business path—does this count as a reason?"

"Every year, over a million in silver passes through my hands, yet all the excess profit goes into someone else's treasury—does this count as a reason?"

"Fearing I would commit theft while in charge, they arranged for clansmen to watch me—does this count as a reason?"

"If there is no trust, why entrust all the industries to me alone?"

"As fellow clansmen, just because I am from a branch line, the woman I took a fancy to ended up becoming the wife of a younger generation member, simply because that younger generation inherited the family business and is the new Head of the Family—does this count as a reason?"

"I now have five sons and two daughters, and I do not want them to live the same life I have in the future. With my own strength, I shall establish a clan, letting them become the head of a family—does this... count as a reason?"

(End of this chapter)